The noble art of illness
How sometimes illness brings us together instead of separating us
Due to a recent case of acute tonsillitis, I visited a central hospital in Greece. And you cannot imagine how illness, although experienced differently by each person, with different conditions and varying degrees of pain, can ultimately unite us.
But why do people “pray” more in hospitals, in stadiums, in places where we love or grieve, than in churches? What makes us want to be part of a whole, of a circle?
Some science
The answer, although seemingly simple, is multidimensional. It is mainly based on social psychology, which says that a mob, an unorganized group with no common purpose, can become a mass (with a common purpose/vision/ideals), such as our society and ultimately a team.
Within three days, a group of strangers became acquaintances, as far as the context allowed, because of our common characteristic: illness. And that is where I want to conclude, that labeling, i.e., “I am a patient with tonsillitis,” can bring two strangers closer together because they will say, “Oh, I have that too.”
And while most people think that when you are sick you are cut off from your surroundings, the truth is different. This is because shared experiences are what unite groups. Otherwise, the group will break apart.
But how can the noble art of illness unite us?
Some thougts about it
By sharing, expressing ourselves, and talking about what concerns us. Of course, not by sharing our sensitive personal data, but our human experiences and life lessons.
Perhaps the title was a little misleading. Or rather vague. Because my acute tonsillitis alone was not the reason I connected with people. It was my will, my passion, and my need for a little more humanity.
Perhaps that is why we open up more to strangers. To people we will probably never see again, or to people we trust but have a professional relationship with, such as a barber.
Thus, the noble art of illness is not about the illness itself, but about human connection. And that is what ultimately matters.
That is what ultimately unites us and makes us part of the mammalian species. The fact is that even in social psychology, people want to be categorized and then fit in well with others or society. This is how we are programmed from school.
And those who don’t fit this pattern? They write texts like this!