Helpful rules for Covid debate:

1. Assume good faith until proven otherwise

2. People are generally not evil, people just differ in their opinions of the best way to do good. Very few are approaching the situation with malice

3. Everyone is struggling on some level

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4. Nobody has been in a situation like this before. This is novel to all of us.

5. Refrain from using deliberately pugilistic and inaccurate analogies- this is not a war, nobody is a “murderer”

6. There are no “sides”. Or at least there shouldn’t be.

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7. Be humble. Refrain from getting into complex arguments about technical things that you just don’t know about- nobody is an expert at everything

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8. Think about why you are debating- is it to make yourself feel better or superior? Is it to blow off some of your anger? If so it’s likely to be a pointless debate & only cause more antagonism

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9. Try, as far as possible, not to be unkind. And remember that there is another human being at the end of the screen.

10. Remember that when covid is over we will still all need to find a way to live with each other. Don’t be cruel

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I’m not saying I achieve this all the time- far from it. But I think these are some decent rules to try and stick to during this time.