Testing humanity
In the opening sequences of the new miniseries Station Eleven (HBO), the protagonists are shell-shocked by the immediate and catastrophic effects of a new, deadly virus that is spreading across the world. Hospitals are overwhelmed with patients, and vital functions of society close down. The streets empty, as people hunker down inside their homes, bracing for the virus to ravage the population.
As I was watching it, I felt a breathlessness come over me. It felt heavy, like perhaps the pandemic-themed pop-culture media is coming out way too soon. The past two years have been relentless, producing a number of life-defining experiences that I’ve hardly even begun to process.
Above all, the pandemic has been a test of our commitment to the things we take for granted. What do we believe in? What institutions should exist? And which ones will inevitably perish? And make no mistake — some things have perished. People have too and, in the end, it’s all about the people.
Most of what we take for granted, what we define as facts and “reality”, is just things that people have agreed on. Social contracts and constructs are what define humanity — they are the reason we have survived, and how we were able to rise to the top of the food chain, above every other animal species on this planet.
Social constructs are the reason we can collaborate on anything, on any level. From agreeing with your friend that, because you both live in the same country, you follow the same “time zone” and therefore know when to meet up, all the way to world leaders recognizing, or denouncing, sovereign states and their respective borders — it all hinges on social constructs.
This system applies to everything from families and groups of friends, to companies, organizations, and countries. Even the biggest corporations in the world, like Apple or Exxon Mobile, are still just constructs — it just so happens that pretty much everyone agrees that they exist. You could argue that we have checks and balances to make sure everyone agrees, in the form of physical contracts and records. But on a fundamental level, those are all constructs too. And what do those constructs rest on? Well, if you’re feeling philosophical, you could say it’s constructs all the way down.
Many things did survive the pandemic, through our collective efforts. Like movie theaters and beloved local restaurants. Like budding companies with big hearts and great ideas, but scrawny budgets. Sustaining and nurturing them takes dedication. In a way, that’s how we honor the people who are no longer with us.
Station Eleven might start out very grim, but the premise of the show is beautiful: a group of survivors (“pre-pands”) and people born after the pandemic try to re-discover the important things in life — the things that need to persist. As we near the end of the covid-19 pandemic, and reemerge into the world, that is exactly what we also need to do.
