MindHack Digest: Sleep Divorce? What is Consciousness? Obscure Words to Describe Everyday Feelings

Happy Monday!

In the 1980s, AIDS arrived on the world stage. It was a new, frightening disease with no cure and was rampaging through communities and countries. People believed that you could catch AIDS from touching someone who had it, or even sitting on the same toilet seat. Sufferers were shunned, and up to 50% of people polled in the US believed that those with AIDS should be quarantined.

On the 19th April, 1987, Princess Diana, one of the most famous people in the world, opened the first unit in the UK dedicated to treating people with HIV and AIDS. During her visit, she shook the hands of a patient without wearing gloves, and changed people’s perceptions of the disease forever.

Today, such an act by a leader might not even be newsworthy, but I bet shaking the hand of somebody you know is HIV+ might still give you a little bit of anxiety. The fact of the matter, if we’re to become a better society that doesn’t lead with its fears & prejudices, we need to become a society that leads with courage and empathy.

A small act like standing up to a bully or defending somebody in public can inspire others to speak up and change their ways in ways we can’t fathom. So the next time a situation arises where you feel the inner conflict between fear and courage, which one will you choose?

🍺 to a great week ahead!

- Cody