This post is not my normal at all. Last night, I kept dreaming about writing this, and dreams are a good indicator for me to do something. While this post was originally going to only be posted on Medium, the dream part makes me think it needs to go to you, too. Though the subject is COVID, the underlying message applies to everything – stay curious. I plan to be back to my usual fare on the next post. As always, take what serves you, and feel free to leave the rest. (Update: This post was removed from Medium in just 48 hours, due to threatening public health. Curiouser and curiouser.)

With the pandemic situation, people tend to quote this science or that science to support their chosen narratives. The problem being, you can find “facts” to support anything you choose to believe, including a flat Earth. So how is it possible to find our way out of the narratives? We start by looking at completely different data, with a healthy dose of curiosity.

Science is just like religion — simple and elegant in theory, yet messy once we add humans to the mix. Humans have egos, and egos are susceptible to corruption and coercion. Corruption is not just about money, it includes conformation bias. Who doesn’t like to be right? Priests and scientists are just normal humans.

Before anyone gets too riled up about denying science, I want to draw your attention to the cutting-edge treatments of 300 years ago. The latest and greatest was slicing open the abdomen (without anesthesia) to release demons from the body. Look how far we’ve come! Now, imagine what people will think of our modern treatments 300 years from now. Never mistake our current level of understanding with the actual truth. Science and medicine are meant to evolve, and at this point in time, that evolution is rapid.

The biggest thing missing from the current dialog on disease is perspective. There is plenty of talk of new cases, while the mortality rate is suspiciously missing from the reports. For 2020, the WHO reported almost 2 million COVID deaths worldwide. That sounds like a big number, until you consider we have a world population of nearly 8 billion. There are a lot of zeros between a million and a billion. If I did the math right (again, check it for yourself), the mortality rate for COVID is around .025%.

“But those were preventable deaths! You heartless wench!” I can hear it already. Know what other deaths are preventable? The 9 million who starve to death worldwide every year. Yes, people are 4x more likely to die of starvation than die of COVID. Somehow, we got the idea that death itself is preventable. The average yearly worldwide death total is 55–60 million, just because people die. Every. Single. Year. That average did not increase in 2020.

Everybody is somebody’s somebody, and the pain of losing a loved one is real. I’m not saying death isn’t hard on the living. I’m just saying being mortal tends to include dying, by definition. From a broader perspective, births far outnumber deaths. We are in no danger of running out of people. In fact, one of the most sobering things you can do is watch a world population clock. If you check it every morning and every night for a week, it can completely change your perspective on a great many issues.

So, let’s keep the curiosity going, and look elsewhere. Let’s check the patent office. Patent number 7279327 (filing date of April 20,2001) is for producing recombinant Coronavirus. No, I don’t know what that means, but it’s interesting, right? There have been many patents filed around Coronavirus, and its inoculation. What I can tell, with my layman knowledge, is that someone is making money –billions so far. If you’re interested in following this trail, I suggest watching the video of David E. Martin testifying at an inquiry committee. Then go look stuff up. Be curious.

I’m one of those few people who is completely missing the “do as you’re told” gene. Even as a child, I would hear adults describe the world and I would think to myself, “Who made that up?” I’m naturally curious, and I love to find the answers. What is the deadliest animal? Mosquitoes kill 800,000 worldwide per year. How long was Betty White married? 18 years, to Allen Ludden. Where did we get our current ideas about hell and the devil? Zoroastrianism, about 800 B.C.E. What is the leading cause of death in the USA? Heart disease followed by cancer, and the average yearly total mortality is 2.8 million. Every. Single. Year.

So, why all the hysteria? You’re curious now, aren’t you? Believe it or not, some of it is genetic. Science has shown that trauma is passed down genetically. The study took a group of mice and exposed them to the scent of cherry blossoms, followed by an electric shock. Once the mice had a fear response to the scent alone, they were allowed to do normal mouse things, including procreating. Without ever being shocked, the offspring had a fear response to the scent of cherry blossoms, as did the following generation. Most humans have a trauma, somewhere in their lineage, around contagious disease. The Black Plague killed off about 25% of those infected.

Completely unrelated (but fun) observation… One political group promotes “my body, my choice” for abortions, but not vaccines. The other party touts “my body, my choice” for vaccines, but not abortions. This is the kind of thing I just find amusing. While my personal beliefs are completely irrelevant, I think your body should always be your choice. After all, there is no objective reality, so people are doing what their specific reality calls for.

It is also amusing that people who choose not to get the jab are immediately denounced as science-deniers. Everyone I know who didn’t get the shot sited lack of trials and evidence – scientific reasons. Also, in some countries, people with allergic reactions to food or pharmaceuticals are advised not to get inoculated. It really isn’t good for everyone. People do die from the jab (over 7,000 so far reported by the CDC for the USA).

Remember Dr. Dan Stock? A video of his concerns voiced to a school board recently went viral (another amusing term). Regina Meredith interviewed him, but the video was blocked by YouTube. It’s still up on her site. Where is the line between removing “fake news” and controlling a narrative? This is why it is so important to stay curious. Stay curious even about things you don’t really care about. Certainty means you’ve stopped learning.

My personal recommendation, on pretty much everything, is to use your inner guidance. Turn off the news, stop relying on narratives, and really feel into it. Fear is a great indicator. If you are less afraid when you think of getting the jab, then get it. If you are more afraid when thinking about the jab, then don’t do it. Don’t listen to others. This is your body and your choice.

“Curiosity killed the cat.” Who made that up?