Neither Anger nor Loss, Neither Expectation nor Longing

In 2020, the wealth of the world's billionaires grew by about 1.9 trillion US dollars, an annual increase of about 20%. Setting aside even a fraction of that sum would be enough to vaccinate every person on Earth against COVID and solve their food and clothing needs. But not all billionaires are generous; although amassing excessive wealth has no practical meaning for them, greed from the depths of human nature still leads most rich people to choose stinginess over generosity.

The IMF expects that in 2021 the wealthiest countries may achieve herd immunity through vaccination and enjoy an explosive economic recovery. But the poorest countries will remain deeply mired in this once-in-a-century plague. IMF economists believe that the development of the past two decades in those poor developing countries and emerging economies will be wiped out by this plague.

The World Health Organization has stated clearly that herd immunity cannot be achieved worldwide in 2021. By my reckoning, it will be good enough if humanity achieves herd immunity by 2025. The major developed economies can obtain vaccines and vaccinate their people, but most poor countries lack the means. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been snapped up by the developed countries; in poor countries, even the medical workers who most need protection cannot be vaccinated in time, which will only speed up the pandemic's spread in poor countries.

Relatives and friends back home say that thieves in the countryside have clearly increased this year. Vicious incidents in society are also more common than before; in just the last week, there have been three violent attacks on medical workers alone. Only when the granaries are full do people know etiquette. When people are financially strained, they really cannot be as civil and polite as they once were.

People the world over have lived through the most unforgettable period of their lifetimes, and we have together witnessed the good and evil sides of human nature magnified under extreme conditions. I have not grown angry or disillusioned because of the evil I have seen, nor have I formed any expectations or longings because of the good I have seen.

Observing everything happening in the world today has shown me that reason is a very complex thing, hard to come by and easy to lose. Reason is unreliable; whether in individuals or in groups, whether among the intelligent and educated or among the uneducated and uncivilized, people can all too easily lose their reason and fall into frenzy. The real world is full of variables, and upheaval can break out at any time. If we look at history, we find that from ancient times to the present, the human group has always been like this, and the future will probably not be much better.

Tracing the virus to its source will reveal the uglier side of human nature; the great gap between rich and poor and a lack of compassion are the true roots of this plague. In scientists' eyes, the hunters closest to the virus are objects of sympathy. It is precisely the pressure of making a living that forces them to hunt wild animals to survive. Many people who hunt wild animals would not choose to be hunters if they could make a living by other means, because hunting is always dangerous.

So for years virologists have been calling on all sectors of society to pay attention to and help those poorest tribes and regions, to free them from a life of close contact with wild animals, while stopping the excessive violation of nature, keeping out of wild animals' spaces, destroying their habitats, and forcing them to live among humans. But regrettably, not only is this call not heeded, the scientists' own research is often forced to stop for lack of funding.

In principle, only by eliminating poverty can we root out behavior that endangers humanity as a whole—intimate contact with wild animals. (From a scientific standpoint, the most intimate contact humans have with wild animals is slaughter, because during the killing microorganisms are exchanged between human and animal, and that is how diseases cross species.)

If we see this essence, what reason do we have to believe we will not be struck by plague again in future? Will the wealthy billionaires be willing to help poor refugees? Will the developed countries be willing to give development opportunities to the developing world? Will those who already enjoy the fruits of power be willing to give up the fat in their hands?

In this age when everyone fears for themselves, the selfish side of human nature has been magnified to the extreme. Whether totalitarians or liberals, whether the poor or the rich, everyone has shown their weaknesses, and these weaknesses are enough to make all of humanity suffer. But it is unrealistic to expect this world to root out totalitarianism and liberalism; equally unrealistic is expecting everyone to remain rational and restrained.

Human nature has flaws, and this is a reality we humans cannot escape. Rather than complain about this, we should recognize and accept this reality and raise our vigilance against unexpected events. I have long thought about what life itself is—not, of course, a narrow, human-centered view of life. So far I have found no clear answer, only a vague sense of it.

We live in this dynamic world; genes endow us with the driving force to survive and reproduce, so selfishness is an innate instinct of all living things. One might even say that many of humanity's altruistic acts are essentially rooted in selfish instinct, because if we did not take some altruistic actions, we would eventually endanger ourselves.

For example, if we do not reach out to the poor, both their pressure-driven hunting of wild animals and their failure to achieve herd immunity in a time of plague will ultimately endanger every one of us. But even when this truth is universally known, will people choose to be generous? I deeply doubt it. In the end, a very puzzling phenomenon results: a problem that could have been avoided or quickly solved finally turns into a protracted great disaster. Seen this way, human wisdom and reason really are not as great as we boast.