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The tragic outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, and subsequent cases surfacing in other countries, may leave some feeling concerned, anxious, or downright frightful. To be sure, many media outlets have consistently made Ebola-related stories their top headlines, and news sources continue to document how this disease is unfolding across the globe. But are you worried?
Sadly, Ebola is a serious disease that has tragically taken the lives of thousands of individuals. Thousands of families have been affected by this terrible outbreak, mainly in areas of West Africa. A considerable amount of resources have been dedicated to controlling the spread of the disease and treating affected individuals, and scores of medical professionals have made their way into the most affected areas to help with recovery. Their efforts are noble and it is likely that without their help, the toll would be much worse.
But how concerned should Americans be about the outbreak? What is a reasonable response? Previous research suggests that humans are uniquely aware of their own death. According to Terror Management Theory (Greenberg et al., 1986), the awareness of our eventual demise leads creates the potential for substantial anxiety. Part of what makes us human is our capacity for self-awareness (being aware that we exist and have a self) and ability for symbolic thought (planning for the future, being able to project into time), which lead us to realize that one day we're going to die. We manage this unpleasant reality in a number of ways. First, we like to feel good about ourselves and try to do things to raise our self-esteem (Pyszczynski et al., 2004). Second, we cling to worldviews that make us feel better. Some of these worldviews, however, can lead to undesirable outcomes. Sometimes, being reminded of death can make us more prejudice, cause us to defend the predominant values, can lead us to be aggressive toward people who don't fit in our "group," and might even lead to violence toward others (Pyszczynski et al., 2003). Finally, people might even cling to safety and security, even when it is costly do so. Research has suggested that these reminders might be tied to feelings of political conservatism (Jost et al., 2003).
All of this suggests that some of the news coverage of Ebola might be reminding people of their mortality. As people begin to think that they are vulnerable, it is possible that they're increasingly concerned about their eventual death. When they do so, they might start "circling the wagons." This might mean that we start isolating ourselves, want to restrict travel, and put down those that aren't "like us." We might ignore scientific evidence regarding reasonable precautions and instead feel like we need to be even more restrictive. And, we might start getting overly concerned about contracting the disease, despite scientifically-validated protocol.
Does this mean we don't have anything to be worried about? Not really. But it does mean that we might be overly worried. The best way forward might be to realize that our human awareness of mortality might be operating in the background of our minds, and we should heed the wisdom of scientifically-grounded findings communicated by experts. Also, because the fear of death makes us a bit more self-oriented, we'd do well to cultivate some empathy for those who are most affected. A dose of calm and compassion will likely go a long way as we work together to try to flourish in the midst of life's challenging moments.
References:
Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (1986). The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: A terror management theory. In R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Public self and private self (pp. 189-212). New York: Springer-Verlag.
Jost, J., Glaser, J., Kruglanski, A.W., & Sulloway, F.J. (2003). Political conservatism as motivated social cognition. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 339-375.
Pyszczynski, T., Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., Arndt, J., & Schimel, J. (2004). Why do people need self-esteem? A theoretical and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 435-468.
Pyszczynski, T., Solomon, S., & Greenberg, J. (2003). In the wake of 9/11: The psychology of terror. Washington, DC: APA.
