Normalcy Bias in the New Normal

originally posted by: DanDanDat
So whats the new normal?

I've been going to and doing all the things I have always done.

For a few months when the death rate was high in my area of New York we had to stay in more than normal; but now other than people half heartingly wearing masks life seems to have pretty much gotten back to pre-covid normal.

Last week we took a summer vacation to a beach town not to far from where we live (no one was wearing a mask on their face). My kids have been going to their dance classes for months now. My wife goes to her yoga. We are in the process of putting our house up for sale and buying a new one. My wife has always worked from home and I've been going back to the office regularly.

I realize not all people are doing well right now; but we should be looking for ways to help those people not throwing our hands up in despair thinking the world is on full tilt when it is not.

Time for people to start turning off the TV and logging out of social media.

I'm glad to hear you feel OK with your new normal, but it ain't over 'till it's over.

Combine the next flu outbreak with a second COVID wave this fall and let me know if things are still "near normal" for you and yours. Of course, that's not to mention the protests, political BS, possibility of a world financial crisis, escalating world tensions, and numerous natural disasters around the globe. This isn't just about the pandemic, this could get way worse yet.

originally posted by: MichiganSwampBuck

originally posted by: DanDanDat
So whats the new normal?

I've been going to and doing all the things I have always done.

For a few months when the death rate was high in my area of New York we had to stay in more than normal; but now other than people half heartingly wearing masks life seems to have pretty much gotten back to pre-covid normal.

Last week we took a summer vacation to a beach town not to far from where we live (no one was wearing a mask on their face). My kids have been going to their dance classes for months now. My wife goes to her yoga. We are in the process of putting our house up for sale and buying a new one. My wife has always worked from home and I've been going back to the office regularly.

I realize not all people are doing well right now; but we should be looking for ways to help those people not throwing our hands up in despair thinking the world is on full tilt when it is not.

Time for people to start turning off the TV and logging out of social media.

I'm glad to hear you feel OK with your new normal, but it ain't over 'till it's over.

Combine the next flu outbreak with a second COVID wave this fall and let me know if things are still "near normal" for you and yours. Of course, that's not to mention the protests, political BS, possibility of a world financial crisis, escalating world tensions, and numerous natural disasters around the globe. This isn't just about the pandemic, this could get way worse yet.

Yea and a massive meteorite can hit the earth too ... you forget to add that.


There have always been numerous natural disasters around the globe.

There has always been protests and political BS.

There have always been threats of financial crisis.

There have also been pandemics.

And there has always been the threat that a massive meteorite could hit the earth too.


You can choose to live your life with the certainty that life is uncertain.

Or you can pretend your living in a unique point in history were the odds are against you more so than any other.



Oh when I was a kid no one knew of a thing called the personal computer... look at the "new normal" we live in where we are having a virtual conversation even though we have never met and likely never will.


The only thing that is normal is that things change; but they rarely change in such away that you can't recognize what comes next based on what was before.


Life is pretty much as it was when I was a kid and I'm confident my kids will say the same thing when they are my age ... and yet our lives will likely be different.

a reply to: DanDanDat

The normalcy bias is strong with this one. I wouldn't fault you for that, just as I wouldn't disregard my own paranoid musings though. Be that as it may, we shall see who will need to adjust their lives to the new normal, I just happen to believe we all will have to soon.

I particularly do not agree with that last statement though . . .

Life is pretty much as it was when I was a kid and I'm confident my kids will say the same thing when they are my age ... and yet our lives will likely be different.

Nothing today is much like it was when I was a kid. I don't believe that life was the same with my parents or theirs either. If you truly believe your last statement, I doubt I could make you see anything differently than you do now.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Nothing today is much like it was when I was a kid.

Strongly agree.

Sure, what one could call the "big background stuff" is still there -- paved roads, suburbs, the U.S. government etc.

But culture shock, interestingly [for me], is not about seeing the big stuff changed. The devil is in the details. It is when one realizes that one is tired of door handles and would prefer to turn a door knob. That sounds almost absurd, but people define their lives with small things as well.

And that is where I would very much agree that today is "not like it was when I was a kid". Very different attitudes about many things, and significant behavioral differences brought on by the proliferation of electronic technology.

BTW, good thread and interesting topic.

Cheers

originally posted by: Serdgiam
a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Well.. "The" new normal is part of a decades long plan. It will be worse, and they use things like communism as the marketable, palatable face. Which says a lot about the true nature of the technocracy.

Theyve been very open about where this is all going, for years & years now. They just market it as a good thing and people buy it because the information ops rely eliminating any semblance of collective reality. 2020/2021 was always the period to watch.

Zero private property (not even cooking utensils), absolute central dependency of everything from information to food to medicine to science (the Monolith), and enforcement through "community led public safety systems," AI, biometrics, and robotics. Dissent will be eradicated in real time. If you question anything, you will be socially ostracized and your access to shelter, food, water, etc. will immediately be revoked.

We can already see the foundations for this being built openly this year.

To get people to accept this, particularly in the west, they need to destabilize and demonize the current system. At least.. To the point where the dystopian hellscape seems like an improvement over current circumstances. That part of the operation will begin in earnest this winter.

Just look how things have gone since you posted this. It is simply incredible! You were spot on about this winter (now) and how things would play out. I have little doubt the end game is how you have described it.

It's too bad threads like these get pushed off the radar so quickly. Too often many of these brilliant threads and posts answer the same questions that pop up on the forums daily. All we can do is revisit these threads and link them when appropriate in other posts.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Thank you MSB. Im not really proud about accuracy.. These folks are pretty open about all of it, but things like Agenda 21 or Sustainable Development Goals are either marketed as "crazy conspiracy theories" or "DoublePlusGood awesomeness."

For The Virus, I expect a pretty solid spike in cases starting in the next month or two. This is due to the normal seasonality of coronaviruses, though might be marketed as the presence of a mutated strain. Coupled with so many measures that have weakened immune systems, it would be easy to spin into the narrative.

They could go the other way though. By calming down the large percentages of the population that still believe the media, it will make the so-called "right" look more "extreme" relatively speaking. It will also confirm the bias of those that trust media that they are buying into the correct paradigm on several topics.

That covers a lot of ground But, we can still verify by comparing actual data, original video sources of events, etc. versus what is presented to the public.

I believe the strongest theme is going to be goading conservatives and "the right" into lashing out. It will be done through a variety of ways, but with a strong focus on either rejecting technology and isolation/bunkering down ..or.. protests & riots. This ensures that the social group is either "off the board," or coordinating in an easily predictable and controllable manner that works towards destabilization (one of the main goals). Extreme elements may be influenced to buy into some type of EMP narrative. Very strong themes of being backed into a corner with no options.

I think one new element is going to be robotics. I dont know if we will really see them on our streets (yet), but I fully expect there to be more talks about "ongoing research & development." The tech is already good to go though. It probably hasnt quite reached mass production levels, but I suspect much more are being built than is known.

I think this to be sold to the public as a "safe" way to police our communities and prevent the spread of The Virus. Make a call or use an app to report "Bad" behavior. Then the mass production will probably be marketed as some way to return jobs & manufacturing.

Stuff like masks are pretty well normalized now. The multiple mask seed just recently moved the conversation from -mask vs no mask- to -one mask vs more- with a strong focus on absurdity. Skirmish lost.. I think the next normalization target will be restricted movement (both physical movement and movement of information).

Lets see how it plays out.

I still think there are substantially better paths. Due to the technological context, things can happen extraordinarily quickly, from the spread of memes to the widespread adoption of self-sufficient, modern technology. The chances are incredibly slim, but we could actually see something like hundreds of millions of households buying a MacGuffin of Autonomy in a single day. Unimaginably unlikely, but the idea it is even on the spectrum of possibilities is remarkable.

For that to happen, we would need people(s) with considerable resources to first patch together a few different tech platforms, preferably in a way that makes developing increased accessibility easy. Then, market it in a highly visible, persistent way with a specific release date. At that point, its "just" a matter of participation numbers. It would also require someone(s) in control of considerable resources to recognize the presence and potential of an alternative paradigm that removes their points of leverage on the population. It would turn many markets on their heads, but.. we are already kinda there.

There are a lot of ways that alternative infrastructure can emerge though, most of them inherently rapid due to technology. I think the ideal timeframe in "normal" times would be ~15 years, but the other factors are much too significant to ignore.

originally posted by: DanDanDat
Or you can pretend your living in a unique point in history were the odds are against you more so than any other.

The only thing that is normal is that things change; but they rarely change in such away that you can't recognize what comes next based on what was before.

That will not hold for ever. When a tipping point arive , an avalach starts.

a reply to: Serdgiam

What an in depth response, thank you.

So then the tech solutions I've been trying to implement (successfully, if not slowly) in regards to self reliance is heading in the right direction? I'm sure your concepts are more far reaching and wide spread than my struggle to catch-up with current tech, but this is some of the things I've been working on.

I've got a variety of options in a grid down situation including a rather high tech still and a solar panel ready to incorporate into a 12v DC system I have been working on for a number of years now. My private WiFi LAN is fully functional and connects all my wireless devices including outdoor security cams. The cell phone repeater I recently installed allows full connectivity outside of the private network now. It was hard for someone like me from the pre-Windows DOS era to dive into wireless tech and to develop a private network in my home. But I feel like this is the way to go, esp. with the limitations of living in a swamp, in the woods, at the last utility pole on the road with few options regarding the tech at large.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

I think thats amazing!

My own work doesnt really cover communications tech at all. Or, maybe it would be more accurate to state it doesnt cover external networks & connections. For the self-sufficiency stuff like food, power, etc.. I think having absolutely no external networking is critical.

Internet alternatives might be one of the most important topics at hand though. The physical backbone is a whole bizarre subject in and of itself. Even so, universal standards make it relatively easy to build entirely different approaches without having to "reinvent the wheel."

The cool part about a typical DC power system is that the source of that energy (typically stuff like solar/wind) can easily be changed out to something better, should it come along. Thats a very powerful ( ) concept. I even think its notable that DC LED systems provide absolutely incredible creative installation opportunities. Between strips, individual chips, and even the more typical bulb shapes.. the possibilities are amazing!

My personal areas have been energy, food, manufacturing, as well as lightweight automation. Could probably add in overarching strategy & philosophy as well. But, that sure doesnt cover "everything." Even a single one of those is biting off more than I can chew in my situation, but by sharing what we are doing.. we can still inspire each other and learn new things.

I believe that pretty much anything that puts control of daily life into the hands of the individual is a good thing. In that respect, its a bit like spreading an ideology.

Personally, my focus has shifted to writing a fiction trilogy. I plan on (mostly) splitting up the chapters by the physical setting, and will make an illustration for each one. Not exactly "critical infrastructure" type stuff, eh? But I believe it is all of this stuff that gives a glimpse into our true potential as a civilization.

We just need to build in that direction, bit by bit and home by home, to have any expectation of a paradigm where achieving that potential is "normal."

Adaptability is always the key to assimilating to changing circumstances, it is always the best forte of a soldier. The circumstance can either require a conscious effort of adaptation or none at all, but you don't have to be a soldier to adapt, but a soldier will have weighed the options of future circumstance against the present one, and will always choose the right moment to make the adaptation.

The 'new normal' does not represent a circumstance of long stability, it merely represents a long transition, to what is anyone's guess. Propaganda from government and other authorities through media constantly seeks to normalize the chaos and disruption as we transition from something 'old' to something 'new' that they want to impose.

Quite simply, what you are adapting to is the imposition.