When I heard about the pandemic, I was scared. I was scared for myself and my kids. Was this the end? It seems like every religion has some version of the apocalypse. Is this it? I wondered.
The fear was enough to send me to the grocery store on a Wednesday night after a long day, even though I had enough groceries for the week. I tried to be nonchalant as I pushed my heavy cart through the store, adding a few more boxes of pasta, a few more cans of beans, an extra bag, or two, of oatmeal, oh, and some canned milk, just in case.
Almost two years later, I reflect. I did not run out of pasta or beans. I am still using up the oatmeal, and I had to throw out the canned milk because it expired. It was a lesson. I am not immune to fear. In fact, it can make me panic.
Fear also led to long line ups for gas last week after the flooding of the Sumas Prairie (Fraser Valley). I am certain that not everyone in line needed to fill up in order to make it home. Why did they wait in line when it was so busy? They were scared; scared of the unknown. Motivated by fear to take action.
Line ups for gas along the Malahat near Victoria November 17,2021. Credit: McArthur, L., for CBC News.
Is this fear something we should capitalize on? Should we be scaring people into action?
The literature is conflicting. On one hand, fear is a tool to increase interest, but only works if paired with clear actions that can be taken. On the other hand, fear is “generally an ineffective tool for motivating genuine personal engagement” (O’Neill and Nicholson-Cole, 2009).
Personally, I say No to Fear.
As leaders, we have a role to play in helping people stay calm and be prepared. We must communicate to minimize panic. We must be thoughtful and compassionate; we can recognize and acknowledge fear, but we can not threaten or exaggerate without losing credibility.
Do we need to be honest and realistic? Absolutely. We must be open about the increasing number of catastrophes expected and the losses we could endure. We need to translate climate data at the local level to build understanding. We need to be realistic about how much it is going to cost to be prepared and contrast this with the amount required to clean up afterwards. (It is five times as much (Cox, 2021)).
Most of all, we must give hope. Let us paint a compelling vision for the future to motivate action, as opposed to fear.
I love the “Years of Repair” video by The Intercept (2020), because it does just that. Solutions include Truth and Reparations commissions, and directing funding away from “policing, prisons and war” towards “schools, health care and housing.” This approach inspires me.
In searching for a vision, I also refer to Eric Holthaus’s solutions in, “The Future Earth” (2020). He calls it a “radical vision,” but given what we have learned about climate change so far, it all sounds reasonable to me: free health care, free college, universal basic income, four day work week, circular economy, more greenspace, an end to air travel, and electrification of transportation, heating and cooling. He describes his vision for how it can be and how we can feel. He sells it on the benefits. We slow down and have more time off. “We relax on trains and ships, interact with people in a more friendly and much more spacious environment. The journey trumps the destination” (p. 145).
Ultimately, we will all be scared at some point over the next few decades. There is a lot of change headed our way. However, we have the strength and the courage to get through it and move towards a better future. Reimagine how the world would look if we were all realistic and honest, yet hopeful. We would have a “spirit…anchored in a collective sense of purpose” and we would create “an international culture of empathy” (Holthaus, 2020, p. 143).
It is our job to inspire hope to motivate action, not fear. Let’s be realistic and honest, and let’s work towards our new future together.
References
Cox, R. (2021). COP26 Panel Discussion: achievements and challenges – What is next? Royal Roads Webinar. 23 Nov. 2021. To be posted at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_F04p4cdLDkHoAF9PT9bTC6kQ-lNmZeO.
Holthaus, E. (2020). The Future Earth. Harper Collins, New York.
The Intercept. (2020). A message from the future II: The years of repair. You Tube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m8YACFJlMg&ab_channel=TheIntercept
McArther, L. (2021). Overnight closures on the Malahat cause supply chain issues. CBC News. 17 Nov. 2021. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/overnight-closures-on-the-malahat-cause-supply-chain-issues-1.6253142
O’Neill, S., Nicholson-Cole, S. (2009). Fear won’t do it: Promoting positive engagement with climate change through visual and iconic representations. Science Communication. 30(3). 7 January 2009. https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547008329201
Thanks for this thoughtful consideration of fear and hope in our communication strategies. Fear makes us do unfortunate things (like the fuel line ups!), and often fails to take seriously the need for planning and anticipation. Bringing the cost of reaction over preparation into this conversation is really helpful too, as while you say we will all be scared sometimes, we can be prepared in our fear, which is in itself a kind of way of practicing hope!