This article is written by Suman Chatterjee, Team LawSikho.

In 1665, the University of Cambridge temporarily closed due to bubonic plague. Isaac Newton had to shut himself off and work from home. What did he do? I will tell you in a bit.

But about the subject line first. 

India confirms its first Covid-19 death and then, out of nowhere, pops this subject line. What the heck am I thinking, right?

A couple of days ago, the Big B of LawSikho sent you an email about the gravity of the current situation and how best to deal with it. With all the statistics and list of precautionary measures, it was okay to feel a bit panicky inside—because that’s what makes us human. (and I intended to write a personal letter on this today.)

Yes, in the last few days, whether it was on Facebook or Linkedin or WhatsApp, I get to see something amazing. I see the often-hidden “human” side of us. What makes us human? Being human is not about achieving perfection. It’s about striving towards perfection. The ongoing trials, the errors, the dusting-off and picking oneself up…that’s what makes us human. 

C. Joybell C. aptly says, “There is some kind of a sweet innocence in being human- in not having to be just happy or just sad- in the nature of being able to be both broken and whole, at the same time.”

But amidst these on-and-off periods of being broken and being whole, we have a tenacious habit of rising above the chaos and inspire, motivate and empower ourselves, through ages, from one civilization to another.

We are still doing it today in the face of Coronavirus (like King Leonidus against a horde of Persians!)

We are doing it in our own unique ways. 

Humour. You should take the virus situation very seriously, and you can still joke about it. 

Some of us are cutting jokes day in, day out. 

Just the other day, one of my Facebook acquaintances put this up as a status, “Don’t worry Coronavirus won’t last long… It’s made in China.” 

It did make me smile for a second. 

Peter McGraw, director of the Human Research Laboratory at the University of Colorado at Boulder, says that jokes attempt to take something scary and make it seem harmless. 

For me, it is our way of standing up to Coronavirus and saying, “Dude, you might have conquered Italy and China but you don’t conquer me.”

Hope. I see hope. 

Not only in loads of messages from friends and relatives asking me if I am safe and sound (I am, thanks to our bosses)…the occasional social media shares from busy professionals and industry experts taking the time out to discuss how to use hand sanitizers and bask in the sunlight…the country-wide slogan, “Andrà tutto bene” being spread amidst a shiveringly cold wave of fear blowing over Italy at the moment…

I see that millions and millions of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and wives are getting together hand-in-hand to say to each other that everything will be alright.

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Care. And when I talk about caring for others, do you know that Jack Ma, the billionaire co-founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba, already pledged 100 million yuan ($14.5 million) to the development of coronavirus vaccine and is about to donate 500,000 coronavirus test kits as well as 1 million face masks to the U.S. 

He says, “We can’t beat this virus unless we eliminate boundaries to resources and share our know-how and hard-earned lessons.” 

True indeed. 

Bill and Melinda Gates pledged to donate $100 million to treat this “once in a century” pathogen.

Georgio Armani, of the famous Armani fashion brand, came to the aid of Italy with $1.43 million in hand. 

You might say that this is for publicity if you are cynical but I say this is because we care. It may be that someone is donating millions of dollars for the cause while another is providing fresh food to a homeless person around the corner of a street in Old Delhi. 

But one thing is for sure, we care for each other in times of need.

These are what make us human.

And one more thing…

We, humans, first set foot on Planet Earth 66 million years ago. 

Do we possess 10-cm long claws or 3-inch long canines? Nope, we don’t.

Can our running speed ever peak at 75 mph? Nope, it can’t.

Do we have a scratch-proof and (almost) bulletproof skin to protect us? Nope, we don’t.

Yet we are the leading predator and most thriving survivor on this planet. We have bested everyone that came our way—mountains, oceans, and even electricity—you name it and we own it. Even if we don’t, we constantly endeavour to do so.

We, humans, are undoubtedly the masters of our universe. And it has happened not because of long claws or powerful muscles, and not even our brains. We have built an advanced civilization because we can work together, form teams, form complex systems and overcome any adversity that was thrown our way. 

Anything that doesn’t kill us will make us stronger. Cliche, but we need to remember this now.

We are not fazed by dark clouds because even if there’s no silver lining in it, we create it for ourselves. So, what are we going to do in this crisis?

We would defeat it and come out as the victor like we always do.

So what if your university has closed down and you are stuck at home? 

So what if you can’t have that sales meeting in person with your colleagues?

So what if your freelance work has dried up for the time being?

Jiayou, would you?

Jiayou, in Cantonese, means “Don’t give up.” And that’s what I am asking you to do.

If you are a freelance professional, ramp up your marketing campaigns and get your business in order again. Build your brand and online content while you have the free time so you bounce back later.

If you are a corporate slave, prove that you are a corporate commando instead—the one who can make it happen against all odds. Plot your coupe-de-tat or your startup maybe.

If you are a student, what’s better than to enrol in a few online courses, utilize these free hours and gain new knowledge and expertise? How about polishing your CV, or writing a few articles, step up your online networking?

Corona ki jai ho… because coronavirus, in the disguise of evil, has given us a golden chance to realize that we are human and we are here to stay and we are here to better ourselves and our society. 

It’s our chance to show that we are not Gods but we are “humans”. We flourish in chaos and in crises. 

We find strengths in weaknesses, and we find good in bad. 

For I know—even though I am neither a WHO representative nor a licensed physician—that this dark cloud will pass soon. Coronavirus, you are not forever. I will win and you will lose.    

China, for example, after 6 weeks of complete shutdown, is now slowly getting back to business. It is very hard for them, but in a matter of weeks they will be back in business and thriving, and I know that because I know what it is to be human.

The question is, once it’s over, what next?

This moment won’t be here forever. In 1665, the University of Cambridge temporarily closed due to bubonic plague. Isaac Newton had to work from home. What did he do? He developed calculus and the theory of gravity. 

So, what are you going to do?

Prepare for the good times ahead, my friend. Bad times won’t last.

P.S. We never feel ashamed to promote our courses any damn time—even when coronavirus mocks us and makes faces at us. And that’s because we know that you direly NEED it, just like you need hand sanitizers. (If you have a problem with us promoting our products, buzz off 🙂 Why are you even reading this article?)

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