This is not prison.
For the past couple of months I have been hearing people whinging and moaning about the “Lockdown” of the world due to Covid-19. Many people have been saying, “this is like being in prison.”
Stop.
This is nothing like being in prison. Well, there is one exception, you cannot go wherever you want whenever you want. However there are a lot of things missing from this equation (Covid-19 <> Prison). Let’s break it down and help you to figure out if you are in prison or in your house.
Let’s begin by asking ourselves the following questions:
Can I take a shower alone?
Can I climb into my bed whenever I want?
Is there a refrigerator full of food that I can access whenever I want and stock with whatever culinary delights tickle my fancy?
Do I have unfettered Internet access?
Can I read whatever I want?
Can I go outside whenever I want, even if I can't go everywhere I want?
Do I have reasonable certainty that there are not people within earshot with sticks and pepper spray that can run into the room, strip me of my clothes and throw me into a closet?
If you have answered “Yes” to these questions, then guess what? You are not in prison. There are a couple of questions that I thought I might include but didn’t because ... well.. the world can be a cruel place. They are “Am I safe from physical and emotional harm?” and “Is everyone around me sober and free from drugs, like bathsalts?” Those two are iffy. Unfortunately, I think this epoch in world history may be recorded as a particularly violent and inebriated time.
So, to reiterate, you are not in prison. You are in a temporary quarantine due to a pandemic. This will be pass. Maybe not as quickly or as painlessly as you want but it will pass.
Enjoy your snacks and your Internet.
Of course, according the Zoo Hypothesis, the entire planet might be an alien prison.