“The Greek word “apocalypse,” as you may have heard me say in On Being interviews of recent years, does not mean a catastrophic undoing. It means an uncovering — the lifting of a veil. The Covid-19 virus — a product of the natural world, spread by human contact — has indeed uncovered all of the reckonings we must walk towards if we are to become wise and whole as individuals, communities, and institutions.”
Our inner work is always done in the larger contexts and situations within which we are embedded. There is no one-person psychology as such because we affect each other in rippling circles of influence. Those circles include our families, social institutions, schools, political and religious organizations, and affiliations of all kinds. To let go of destructive elements of the ruling order—both inner and outer—requires a deep commitment to change and dialogue. Covid-19 seems to be exposing just how important it is for us to engage these processes, which aim to facilitate humanistic values of equality, fairness, sharing, and cooperation.