Their priorities are wrong. (When governments around the world are using immense resources on vaccines for the piggy flu, which is many times less harmful than the regular seasonal flus – perhaps 50 times less harmful according to current numbers. Those resources could have been spent on different areas, and with far higher impact.)
- True?
Yes. It feels true. I can find where it feels true, I can find stories telling me it is true, I can find others who agree. - Sure it is true?
No. It is just an opinion. - What happens when I take that story as true?
- I tell myself they are wrong, and I am right. I tell myself they are caught up in a process that may have made sense to them earlier on, and less so now, and they won’t admit it. I tell myself WHO is crazy for defining pandemic without taking mortality rate into consideration.
- I go into stories about how their priorities are wrong. They spend enormous (human, monetary, pharmaceutical) resources on vaccinations for a flu with very low mortality rate. And those resources can be spent on areas where it has far more impact. The list is almost endless: Vaccines for children in poor countries. Education for children in poor countries. Micro-lending. Preventing HIV infections. Prevention life-style related illness. Restructuring society so lifestyle related illness is reduced. Feeding the billion that is undernourished. Helping that billion help themselves. Reducing production and release of toxins into air, water, soil. Spending the same amount of resources in ANY of those areas is likely to have far more impact that spending it on something as silly as a flu with very low mortality rates.
- When did I first have that story? In middle-school when learned about these things in school, and started to question priorities and use of resources.
- What am I afraid would happen if I didn’t have this belief? I am afraid I would be complacent. Not question assumptions and priorities. How likely is that? Not very likely. I would still question priorities. Probably couldn’t help it.
- Who would I be without it?
- I would be curious about their priorities and explore alternatives, but without the drama around it.
- Turnarounds.
- Their priorities are not wrong.
- They obviously have good reasons for prioritizing as they do, in their own mind.
- Priorities are only right or wrong when compared with specific goals and values, and we see different goals and values as important. That is how it has to be.
- Their priorities are right.
- Yes. Their priorities are right in their own minds. Their priorities are right when compared with certain goals and values.
- Their priorities helps me clarify my own priorities, and notice and inquire into my beliefs around it.
- My priorities are wrong. ***
- Yes, my priorities are wrong when I get caught up in this belief.
- My priorities are wrong when I get caught up in any story as true. I get caught up in trying to pretend a story is true, rather than noticing – and living from – what is more honest for me.
- When I get caught up in this specific belief, my attention and energy is caught up in something I cannot do much about. Instead, I can prioritize that which I can do something about.
- Their priorities are not wrong.