Cha(lle)nge

In “easy” times it does not matter much. When things are not going according to plan (along a visible time series, not just with a spike) there is a range of behaviours in people around you, in decreasing degree of apparent unhelpfulness.

Those who:

1. Try to actively damage you (it’s very few, if any, most of the times)
2. Do not help while being asked for help (variably sized group)
3. Do not care, despite some knowledge
4. Are unaware (majority, always)
5. Try to help (not many, and not for too long, see corollaries further below)

The fourth category is transient (but such status can last arbitrarily long), as it would, in all likelihood, switch to the second, or third one, once information flow is in place. Those seem to apply to multi-scale contexts. For example wrt solidarity (pandemics, disasters, illness, whatever):

• Most people are not able to stand long-lasting bad news. A tiny minority fights, some cope, sone deny.
  • Corollary 1: There are no (sustained) bad-time friends. Just sort-of-brothers in arms.
  • Corollary 2: Solidarity is forged during challenges (whatever intensity, scale). Just more a stamina thing, rather than endurance.
  • Corollary 3: One can (should) be grateful for any help (attempt) received, regardles the outcome - and duration.

In fact it’s always better to offer help, rather than to ask for it.

On the other hand - quite obviously - an asset can be an handicap and vice versa: So - unless consequences are catastrophic - not being helped is actually help. Conversely, being helped (i.e. having it “easy”) sometimes is not much of an help. This applies both to spike events and time series (the latter being more challenging. though).