He's taking the virus seriously, but that hasn't stopped him from participating in social gatherings (at least a couple of times), with precautions (e.g., outdoors with six-foot distancing). And he seems pretty eager to find some rationale that will allow him to party freely, without precautions, conscience- and worry-free.
Yesterday, he explained some of the rationale that he's come up with so far. To paraphrase: "When you're hanging out with people, it's awful to think that they might have the virus. Or that *you* might have the virus. So you just have to believe that you're both COVID-free. Otherwise, why are you hanging out? If you believe that one of you might have it, then you're obliged to just *not party*. And I just can't accept that, you know? We *have* to party. So you have to believe that everyone is healthy."
And I'm like...um, yeah. It's a literal fact that anyone and everyone might have it. And that's why *you're obliged to not party*.
He went on to spin some similar "logic" to support his "it's okay to party" stance. And, it's like...dude, you are transparently and shamelessly rationalizing. You are literally *telling* me that you're looking for the faith-based belief that will justify doing whatever you want to do.
And I looked at the religious symbol on the wall behind him, and thought...this is just how some people's brains operate, isn't it? They identify a belief that will relieve some anxiety or another, and then they just...believe it. They start with the conclusion they want to reach ("no one will get sick if I party"; "I'll live forever in another dimension after I die"), and then work backward to find a belief system that will support that conclusion.
He's my superior, so I didn't say much. But it must be nice to have a brain that works that way. Probably saves a lot of time that would otherwise be wasted wrestling with one's conscience."
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