A Question of Foreground and Background
A Question of Foreground and Background
Number infected, number dead. These are the numbers we have become accustomed to seeing every day, and they are what have been driving the decisions to impose strict quarantine measures all over the world.
Number infected, number dead. These are the numbers we have become accustomed to seeing every day, and they are what have been driving the decisions to impose strict quarantine measures all over the world.
5 more million Americans file for unemployment, small businesses requesting an unprecedented number of loans. These notifications we have been hearing every week, and they are continuing to fuel the push for a reopening of society and the economy.
5 more million Americans file for unemployment, small businesses requesting an unprecedented number of loans. These notifications we have been hearing every week, and they are continuing to fuel the push for a reopening of society and the economy.
While the medical concern has thus far taken priority (likely for good reason considering how much is still unknown about the virus), the situation is turning due to the presence of its twin sibling: the social and economic concern.
While the medical concern has thus far taken priority (likely for good reason considering how much is still unknown about the virus), the situation is turning due to the presence of its twin sibling: the social and economic concern.
In thinking about these aspects, let’s borrow the psychological concept of background and foreground. Taken from the American Psychological Association: “in perception, the distinction between the object of attention, which is in the subjective foreground, and the vague texture of the background, which is less likely to receive individual attention.”
In thinking about these aspects, let’s borrow the psychological concept of background and foreground. Taken from the American Psychological Association: “in perception, the distinction between the object of attention, which is in the subjective foreground, and the vague texture of the background, which is less likely to receive individual attention.”
Thus far, the foreground effects are the number infected and dead (and the number of unemployed, one might say, as they have been striking). The foreground effects are so emotionally striking that they rightly warrant an immediate, strong response. Apart from the right recognition that life is sacred and should be preserved, one reason that the number of infections and deaths are in the foreground is that they are easily measurable. They can be represented in clean arcs and curves like those made in calculus class. As a consequence of this strong response, however, occurring in the background has been the complete transformation of the world’s social and economic life.
Thus far, the foreground effects are the number infected and dead (and the number of unemployed, one might say, as they have been striking). The foreground effects are so emotionally striking that they rightly warrant an immediate, strong response. Apart from the right recognition that life is sacred and should be preserved, one reason that the number of infections and deaths are in the foreground is that they are easily measurable. They can be represented in clean arcs and curves like those made in calculus class. As a consequence of this strong response, however, occurring in the background has been the complete transformation of the world’s social and economic life.
While the background effects are usually more difficult to measure, and their impact lags, how are we supposed to know when we should flip our perspective, interchanging the background and foreground image? At the beginning it feels like a cruel, almost unnatural thing to ask; and yet, we realize that the background contains very real consequences. For this aspect alone, Trump’s characterization of the virus as “a hidden enemy” appears to be an apt term.
While the background effects are usually more difficult to measure, and their impact lags, how are we supposed to know when we should flip our perspective, interchanging the background and foreground image? At the beginning it feels like a cruel, almost unnatural thing to ask; and yet, we realize that the background contains very real consequences. For this aspect alone, Trump’s characterization of the virus as “a hidden enemy” appears to be an apt term.
I’ve made a Venn Diagram to think about this dynamic.
I’ve made a Venn Diagram to think about this dynamic.
