05/05/2020
COVID-19: A CATALYST FOR RECALIBRATION
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For as long as many of us can remember, we have been told that we need to take ownership of our lives. We need to dream big, set goals and be responsible for our ‘performance’. We have been exhorted to take control of our circumstances and situations and, consequently, our legacies.
Our lives have largely been about accruing wealth and seeking financial freedom. They have been about making our dreams come true; about being in great physical shape and achieving ‘personal bests’ in a range of activities.
We have defined ourselves by what we do, how we look, and what we have.
We have been true believers in the maxim, ‘Health + Wealth = Happiness’.
And then came Covid-19.
Literally overnight, the carpet has been swept from under us. For many of us, our careers are in jeopardy, the businesses to which we have devoted the best of our years are in danger of collapsing, our investments have lost value. And, perhaps most tragically, we have lost our sense of self-worth.
Is it any wonder, that we are shrouded in a state of fear, anxiety and, in some cases, depression!
The current pandemic is indeed a crisis, but it will pass. However, I believe that it will be regarded as a tragedy if we do not use it as a catalyst for rethinking how we live our lives.
In reflecting on our predicament and, more specifically, on what our lives should be about, we can find guidance from Philosophy which, for thousands of years, has recognised two paths to the good life.
The first of these is the striving for a life in which we feel good much of the time and experience little stress or worry. It is a life in which we enjoy good physical health and are able to buy the things we both need and want. Our agenda prevails.
The problem with such a life, as we have now seen, is that the attainment thereof is largely out of our hands.
But perhaps of greater concern, is that the pursuit of happiness is linked to selfish behaviour – being a ‘taker’ rather than a ‘giver’. In fact, according to research conducted by the psychologist Roy Baumeister, such a life is characterised by being ‘relatively shallow, self-absorbed, or even selfish.’
The second path to the good life is by searching for and finding meaning. Such a life is perhaps best clarified by what Aristotle referred to as ‘human flourishing’. (The Greek philosopher had a significant impact on the great Catholic theologian of the middle ages, Thomas Aquinas, who combined Aristotlean philosophy with the revealed truths of Christianity).
Aristotle argued that a state of human flourishing is not a fleeting positive emotion (as happiness is) but, rather, it is something that one does. It is about being and doing good.
Leading a meaningful life, the philosopher argued, requires cultivating our best qualities both morally and intellectually. It is an active life, a life in which we do our jobs and contribute to society, a life in which we are involved in our community, and, above all, a life in which we realise our potential and don’t squander our talents.
Such a life is regarded as more fulfilling than the pursuit of personal happiness.
It is perhaps not an understatement to say that we are at a crossroads.
The question we will need to ask when the Coronavirus crisis passes is – will we go back to our self-centred agenda and try to pick up the pieces of our life (business, career, share portfolio, money); or will we redefine our life by what we contribute to the well-being of others?
Covid-19 has changed our world. Are we going to be brave enough to change how we live in it?
And as business leaders, are we going to return to our traditional agenda? Or, are we going to adopt a different approach?
And, if we are going to do things differently, should we not be using the teachings of the Church to recalibrate our businesses?
Mark Campbell
May 2020
