The psychology behind a pandemic - Acclaimed psychologist Steven Pinker

As the lockdown continues and uncertainty abounds it can be difficult to remain optimistic.

The books are left unread, walls have not been painted, the garden shed left unfinished - why can't we get these things done and how come for many of us motivation is waining?

Earlier we spoke to acclaimed psychologist Steven Pinker.


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[samuelculper]

"As much as I would like to cheer people up, and I would. I actually don't consider myself an optimist in the sense as seeing the glass as half full but rather of calling attention to water in the glass that people aren't even aware of."
~Steven Pinker

[additionaddict]

Interviewer: you’re an optimist
Pinker: we are big yummy hunks of food in the eyes of a virus

[SophyaAgain]

It doesn't matter if people live in a democracy, communism or whatever, mortality is just a number ... until the disease knocks on your door. Than it's very real and personal.

[therange]

It always happens to ''someone else'' until it gets close to home. I think Boris has hit a sore spot in our psyche.

[lucila]

'Let me start by congratulating you on that fierce hair'

[oakstrong]

OF COURSE we will go back to normal. One cycle after we have the vaccine nobody even talks about this, except as something that happened in the distant past. I also bet that many that swear at having to stay at home will look back this time with nostalgia during a busy and stressful time at work, of how much time we had for ourselves.

[SophyaAgain]

Will people change? Are you joking? Just look at the History.

[jakethedude]

I could do a PHD on coronavirus these days...

[sadhanaidu]

I get mesmerized by your flow of language...for me it remains uncontested.

[jenniferbrewer]

This interviewer hasn't read any of Pinker's books.

[rideforever]

Nothing but the seasonal flu.
The winter was mild across Europe and few died of the usual flus, but come Spring a later wave felled many.
We lose tens of thousands every year like this, nothing different.
In 2016 we lost 50, 000 or so, we are not close to that even with the generous CV19 statistics that count heart attacks and car accidents as CV19.
Italy ? In Bergama the very high rate of deaths most likely came from the January 2020 vaccinations that happened there against MeningitisC ... 34, 000 aged Italians were injected, 3 months later they died when the CV19 wave hit them.

[unicyclist]

People love the statistics because they want to know what the future holds, and trends are important.

[MikA-db]

Risk is a factor of life, plagues are one of many challenges in life.

[ranevc]

SARS CoV-2 is our vise teacher. LEARN THE LESSON!

[Natashahoneypot]

Agh I just had the image of all the world leaders going in to visit Boris in hospital bringing him flowers and well wishes and grapes. It was not a good idea.

[Ardakapalasan]

Steven Pinker is a neurolinguist. What exactly qualifies him to discuss a pandemic is anyone's guess.

[rickbest]

Steven Pinker, a scholar and a saint. His books are marvellous reads. His conferences a wonder and informative.

[importantname]

experts around the world have been derided and ridiculed for many years - people do not like listening to experts. We seem to believe that we all know better, and now that the stats are available we seem to think that we can do something about the pandemic. Yet we can see that we are actually individually really stupid.

[thegingerunicorn]

Wonderful insight and knowledge. Thank you for this extremely helpful interview.

[amlaaaa]

What a waste of a chance to pick the brain of one of the best-known psychologists! The questions were basically all philosophical, not psychological. And a philosopher would have been a better person to answer those.