I watched Topher Field on an interview with Dell Bigtree earlier this week and loved his argument, that for some people, the COVID response provided an unusually powerful combination of purpose, belonging, moral worth and achievement. People were told that by following the rules they were protecting others, “saving grandma,” being responsible citizens and helping defeat a once-in-a-century crisis. Field connects that feeling to the upper levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
In Maslow’s familiar model, once basic physiological and safety needs are satisfied, people seek belonging, esteem and ultimately self-actualization, a sense of fulfilling their potential and doing something meaningful. As Topher says, “Living their best life”…
So … he concludes it could make reconsideration emotionally difficult. Accepting that some policies may have been mistaken wouldn’t necessarily feel like changing your mind about a policy; for some people, it could threaten a positive story about who they were during that period and what their actions meant.