Between therians and anti-vaxxers: how far are we willing to go in being deceived?
These past few days, the whims of the algorithm have decided to make my feed Instagram phenomenon of theriansThese are people who feel an "inner connection with real animals." In other words, they feel like animals. If they are dogs or cats, they walk on all fours. If they are snakes, they slither with the elegant, scaly undulation of those forked limbs that so many people find unpleasant. Apparently, the phenomenon is viral in Argentina. Perhaps these are people who have realized that trying to be human under the chainsaw regime is impossible. But you don't have to go that far: in some schools in Mallorca, there are already families who empathize with these peculiar identity needs of their children.
I don't want to seem old-fashioned or overly conservative, but the evil of therians This can serve to illustrate the esoteric-conspiracy-based drift that at least a part of the world we know has taken today. We began in the second half of the last century with the charming signs of the zodiac, which so many of us discovered also had Catalan names thanks to Joaquim Teixidor, that astrologer who used to appear on Filiprim by Josep Maria Bachs. Then came the tarot, which today we can consult on several television channels dedicated exclusively to this curious art of predicting the future of people and the world with beautifully drawn cards. Aramis Fuster and Rappel's indomitable glasses have been essential references.
None of this should be new. We've been living confined within the three great monotheistic religions for over 2000 years. Believe me: nothing could be more esoterically conspiratorial. It reaches a point where you don't know if humans have this overwhelming need to believe in something or if, truly, what we need is to be deceived.
Today, the esotericism of the zodiac and tarot seems to have unexpectedly devolved into surprising conspiracy theories, such as being sprayed from the sky (see entry chemtrails on Wikipedia) or that some dinosaur-like extraterrestrials in the style of the famous Diana of V They are here, among us, to become the masters of the world (see entry reptilians(in this case). It's also highly recommended to follow the visionary trail left in the wake of footballer Marcos Llorente with his yellow glasses or Javi Poves, the flat-earth coach of Colonia Moscardó in the RFEF Second Division.
Everyone should direct their energies where they see fit. Everyone, surely, should be free to be deceived by the enlightened one they find most appealing. But beware. Lately, conspiracy theories have also arrived to question science. We're bringing all this up today because measles (the dreaded "pink," as our godmothers called it) has returned, after being considered eradicated on our island for several years. There are two reasons for this. First, the enormous population mobility in Mallorca, with large segments of the population recently arrived, and we still lack medical data to confirm whether or not they are vaccinated. The second, and more alarming, concern is the relaxed attitude with which a significant portion of the population views the public health duty of vaccination. Today, there are families who question medical recommendations, which are the product of centuries of scientific research. These families, it is important to note, are choosing not to vaccinate their children, fearful of conspiracy theories surrounding vaccine side effects. The most outlandish claim is that vaccines could cause autism, a suspicion that science is desperately trying to refute with data and verified studies.
We can't just talk about measles. No, it's not just a few days of fever, flu-like symptoms, and rashes. Measles can worsen into pneumonia or even meningitis, which, as those of us of a certain age know, can be fatal. Vaccination is essential for your own health and the health of your community. By achieving herd immunity (95% vaccinated), we also protect those who, for health reasons, have not been able to be vaccinated.
As the song goes: "Mothers (and fathers) who have children…" protect yourselves from the esotericism of pseudoscience and conspiracy theories. Our health, and our lives, are at stake!