>>> WE’RE EXPECTING PRESIDENT
BIDEN TO ANNOUNCE NEW OUTDOOR
MASK GUIDELINES FOR THOSE FULLY
VACCINATED.
TODAY, 54% OF ALL ADULTS
RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE.
SIGNS OF HOPE AS WE MOVE TO THE
END, HOPEFULLY, OF THE DEADLY,
DRAINING PANDEMIC THAT LEFT SO
MANY OF US ALONE, STUCK BEHIND
OUR SCREENS.
WE RECOGNIZED LIVES WELL LIVED
AS A PLACE TO MOURN THOSE THAT
DIED TOGETHER.
THE NEXT GUEST IS MISSING AN
IMPORTANT STEP.
EMPATHY, APPROACH TO RE-ENTRY
DOESN’T SEEK TO BRUSH UNDER THE
RUG EVERYTHING WE HAVE BEEN
THROUGH, OUR KIDS HAVE BEEN
THROUGH, AND ALL WE HAVE LOST.
JOINING US NOW, THE PROFESSOR OF
SOCIAL STUDIES, SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AT MIT,
AUTHOR OF A MEMOIR, THE EMPATHY
DIARIES WHICH I READ.
REACHED OUT TO YOU LIKE A
TWITTER STALKER.
I WAS SO MOVED BY IT.
I REALLY WANT TO START THE
CONVERSATION WITH YOU.
I HOPE YOU’LL BE PART OF IT
ABOUT HOW WE TALK ABOUT
RE-ENTRY.
TALKED ABOUT IT AS GOING BACK TO
NORMAL, WE SHOULD BE HAPPY ABOUT
IT.
TURNS OUT IT WILL BE MORE
COMPLICATED THAN THAT, YOU
THINK.
>> YES, VERY MUCH.
>> I THINK THE DESIRE FOR THE
RETURN IS NATURAL BECAUSE WE
HAVE BEEN IN LOCKDOWN.
REALLY, THAT’S NOT HOW TRUE
MOURNING HAPPENS.
MOURNING IS A GOOD THING.
MOURNING IS WHEN YOU TAKE STOCK
OF WHAT YOU’VE LOST AND NICOLLE,
WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING FOR
AMERICA BY TALKING ABOUT LIVES
WELL LIVED IS PART OF THE
PROCESS.
YOU KNEW INSTINCTIVELY BRUSHING
THINGS UNDER THE RUG, EVEN WHEN
YOU HAD A PRESIDENT THAT WANTED
TO, THAT THAT WASN’T RIGHT.
IT IS TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE’VE
LOST.
TAKING STOCK OF THAT, WITH
FRIENDS AND FAMILY, PEOPLE YOU
GO TO SCHOOL WITH AND WORK WITH,
MAKING THAT PART OF THE
COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE.
THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN QUICKLY,
DOESN’T HAPPEN THE DAY THAT
SOMEBODY SAYS MASKS OFF, DOESN’T
HAPPEN THE DAY YOU GET A SECOND
SHOT, IT REALLY IS A PROCESS AND
AMERICANS DON’T LIKE THIS THAT
WE HAVE TO EMBARK ON TOGETHER
AND LEARN TO LISTEN TO EACH
OTHER.
THAT’S WHY I THINK THAT EMPATHY,
LISTENING TO EACH OTHER AS WE EMBARK ON THIS PROCESS IS THE
EMBARK ON THIS PROCESS IS THE
MOST IMPORTANT THING.
GLASS HALF FULL, GLASS HALF
EMPTY WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT
ADVANCES OF TECHNOLOGY, WHAT WE
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PULL OFF.
LET ME READ FROM WHAT YOU WROTE
IN "TIME" MAGAZINE.
WE CAN BOTH ADMIRE REMOTE EVE
SEES, WE BOTH USED TECHNOLOGY
WITH GREATER INVENTION, MISSED
EACH OTHER MORE.
WE ARE IN A POSITION TO BE WARY
OF PUNDITS THAT TRY TO SELL US
ON THE END OF THE OFFICE OR
SOLUTION OF ONLINE EDUCATION.
WE’RE IN POSITION TO CHOOSE THE
MIX OF VIRTUAL AND FACE TO FACE
ENCOUNTERS FOR DIFFERENT JOBS.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?
>> WELL, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE I
DID A STUDY AT THE BEGINNING OF
THE PANDEMIC, PARENTS WERE
REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ALL KINDS
OF LEARNING SOLUTIONS FOR
COMPUTERS WHERE THEIR KIDS WOULD
BE MONITORED AND WOULD USE A LOT
OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO DO
VERY EFFICIENT THINGS ON THE
SCREEN.
NOW AFTER THIS PARENTS ARE
SAYING GET MY CHILD A PERSON.
I WANT A PERSON FOR MY CHILD.
THAT’S BECAUSE WE’VE HAD TIME TO
IMMERSE OURSELVES AND REFLECT ON
HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE TO IT, BUT
ALSO THAT IT ISN’T THE SAME AS
BEING THERE.
AND WE ARE ODDLY HAVING TO BE IN
BETTER POSITION TO KNOW WHAT WE
MISSED.
I AM NOT A POLYANNA ABOUT THE
EXPERIENCE, BUT WE CAN COME AT
IT WITH A TYPE OF WISDOM THAT WE DIDN’T HAVE BEFORE.
DIDN’T HAVE BEFORE.
IT IS NOT UNUSUAL THAT TIMES OF
BETWIX AND BETWEEN, ARE TIMES OF
A RESET.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE BEST
USE OF THE TIME TO THINK OF IT AS A TIME FOR RESET WHERE WE
AS A TIME FOR RESET WHERE WE
START TO PUT PEOPLE FIRST ALSO
WHERE WE LOOK AT OUR COUNTRY IN
A DIFFERENT WAY, RESET THE WAY
WE LOOK AT OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE
WE HAVE BEEN AS THOUGH VOYAGERS
IN OUR COUNTRY, WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO SEE THINGS WE WEREN’T
WILLING TO SEE BEFORE AND WE’VE
JUST WATCHED THEM ON THE SCREEN
AND WE HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO