Frustrated by folks not keeping social distancing? Driven to lecturing, hectoring, passive-aggressively posting about it on Twitter? I hear your pain, friend. This thread is for you.

Every sound public policy is made under the assumption that compliance will not be 100%. There is a whole field of research addressing compliance studies. https://www.jstor.org/stable/448019?seq=1

There are ways to increase compliance: educational campaigns, economic incentive, sanctions and threats. Their usefulness differs on the context, on the elasticity of the behavior, on the cultural/social parameters of the behavior.

Lecturing, hectoring, and subjecting people to a storm of your expressive rage about their noncompliance is NOT an effective tool to garner compliance. Au contraire, it drives them to dig in their heels and think of you as a jerk.

It might feel like a great form of relief to post about this on social media, where your outrage, for reasons that have to do with commercial algorithm, will be rewarded with "likes."

But what it does it generate more upheaval; there is robust social science research confirming that these feelings of tribalism, rage at someone, and bonding at someone's expense are generative.

What we know about neuroplasticity, unfortunately, predicts that the more you marinate in these expressive storms, the more habituated you become to react like that.

It is okay to be afraid and angry and frustrated and all these other feelings. It is also okay (and actually recommended!) to sit with these feelings, offer yourself compassion for them, and open yourself to compassion from others.

That also gives you some space to then consider whether marinating in a reactive storm is an effective way to spend your already-depleted reserves of energy, creativity, good will... which you need for your parenting, work, housework, comforting others, etc.

Take a breath, friend. I feel ya. Be kind to yourself and to others. Set the policing aside and tend to your wellbeing and that of your loved ones and your community. /fin