In Times of Crisis, Continue Normal Activities Rather Than Being Paralyzed by Fear
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/emmabrockes. "How to survive our doomed times? Both the experts and I have the same advice | Emma Brockes | The Guardian." March 25, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
When scary things happen in the world - wars, economic crashes, rising interest rates - you basically have two choices: freeze up and stop doing everything, or keep living your life but feel more worried about it. The author argues you should pick the second option because experts always say don't panic, and historically things usually work out eventually.
Conclusion
When facing large-scale crises and uncertain times, people should continue with their planned activities rather than being paralyzed by fear and inaction
Premises
- Expert advice during crises consistently recommends avoiding hasty reactions (don't touch investments during volatility, stand still when confronted by bears)
- Historical precedent shows that economies and markets recover from even severe crises (US stock market recovered within 5 years after 2008, everyone survived 1970s interest rates of 10-17%)
- Recent experience with COVID-19 demonstrates that financial systems can recover from brutal economic shocks
- Paralysis and inaction never help in crisis situations
- The future picture may never fully clarify, making indefinite waiting counterproductive
- There are only two realistic options: stop all activities and wait, or continue with increased anxiety - and the latter is more practical
Assumptions
- Past economic recoveries are reliable predictors of future recoveries
- Expert advice for financial markets applies broadly to personal life decisions
- Continuing normal activities is inherently better than waiting for clarity
- The current crisis will eventually resolve like previous ones
- Individual agency in crisis response is limited to these two choices