At the time of writing, 31 March 2020, there are 784,381 confirmed cases and 37,780 confirmed deaths across the world.

Here are some of my unfiltered thoughts and observations from the past few weeks:

• Understanding compound growth

The human mind is not wired to understand compound growth intuitively.

Linear growth is simple. What is the end total when you start with 1000 and add 1000 per day, for 10 days?

Whereas compound growth is fuzzy and vague. What is the end total when you start with 1000 and compound 50% per day, for 10 days?

• “Panic buying”?

I don’t think there is such a thing as “panic buying”. I think we act in accordance with how we think others will act.

If we think others are buying more than their usual amount, then it is rational for you to buy more than your usual amount, knowing that if you do not, then the item you need in the future will not be available.

My untested theory is that there is no objective moral standard for human behaviour.

• Walking and exercise

Since working from home and the gym being closed, I have been walking everyday. I am surprised when I see many others out doing the same.

When we strip away all the excess and luxury of daily life, we gravitate towards one of the most basic activities of being human.

Walking and movement is at the core of the human experience.

• Personal finance, emergency funds, and understanding risk

This crisis has highlighted the importance of understanding personal finance. One of the fundamentals is an “emergency fund”. An “emergency fund” is having 6 to 12 months worth of regular expenses saved up, untouched at all times.

You might think that is unnecessary or excessive – why do I need that? Well, for unexpected situations like this.

An “emergency fund” is for those 1 in 100 or 1 in 1000 events. Because after this current crisis, there will be another unexpected event in the future, and another one, and another one…

• I could be working in those ICU’s…

In an alternate universe, I could be working in ICU’s with those affected people right now. What a surreal thought.

As a student, I completed placements in ICU’s working with mechanically ventilated patients, treating severe pneumonia and the like.

At the same time, I am selfishly glad that I am not in that workplace now, and yet extremely grateful for those who are putting themselves at the frontline of healthcare to help others.

• Invisible effects

It is hard to appreciate actions that lead to invisible effects.

Suppose there are police patrolling the neighbourhood. And there is no crime happening.

Is there no crime happening because there is police patrolling the neighbourhood, or would no crime have happened regardless if the police were patrolling or not?

It is impossible to say. We only live in one timeline.

Likewise, it will be hard to determine the effects of our actions when we have no other timeline to compare against.

• Adapting and shifting focus

It is easy to fall into the auto-pilot loop of everyday routine, and incremental progress towards set goals.

But setbacks are inevitable. They should be seen as the rule, not the outlier. And we must adapt when they occur.

For example, I was on an auto-pilot loop of aiming to building my strength and ability in the gym. Quickly, I had to realise this was no longer possible. So I adapted my focus to exercise for general wellbeing.

• Thinking for yourself

One key lesson from this crisis is the importance of thinking for yourself.

Authorities all over the world have been slow to react on the available information. Relying purely on trickle down decisions from large institutions is not ideal.

There is great power in reading between the lines and connecting the dots for yourself.

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What are some of your thoughts at this time?