Great Minds Evolve When In Quarantine

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Story by: Jeremy Cabral

As thousands of people in India are self-quarantining, in order to prevent the spread of the new corona virus, we took a deep dive to understand the benefits of quarantine. We wanted to identify how any situation that we face in our life can be turned around to our advantage. While depression, anxiety, panic and bottled up anger is at its peak. We wanted our readers to discover the jewels within themselves while we all sail in this boat together. So we researched on some of the greatest minds in human history who changed the world while in quarantine.

Giovanni Boccaccio

YOU MUST READ, YOU MUST PERSEVERE, YOU MUST SIT UP NIGHTS, YOU MUST INQUIRE, AND EXERT THE UTMOST POWER OF YOUR MIND

During the 14th century, famous Italian writer, Giovanni Boccaccio, wrote a book “The Decameron” as a way of compiling a series of stories set during the bubonic plague also known as the Black Death of 1348. He had fled from the city to a countryside while being quarantined in a villa. You may wonder, what about this book is so popular now? Well the book title ‘The Decameron’ means 10 days. ‘The Decameron’ is about ten young people residing in Florence, Italy, who are facing the difficulties of the plague similar to the global pandemic we face today. The ten people come together and strategise on the best way to deal with the epidemic. Through his book Boccaccio’s prescribes a good dose of “narrative prophylaxis“ to deal with an epidemic. You can save yourself by surrounding yourself with pleasant company and telling amusing stories to keep spirits up. By combining social isolation and pleasant activities, it was possible to survive the worst days of an epidemic.

Today thanks to the digital revolution we may not be able to meet like minded people during the COVID-19 Pandemic but we can definitely connect with like minded people on social media and share ideas.

Isaac Newton

TRUTH IS EVER TO BE FOUND IN THE SIMPLICITY, AND NOT IN THE MULTIPLICITY AND CONFUSION OF THINGS

In 1665, when the last major outbreak of the burbonic plague also known as the great plague of London ravaged through the city Isaac was then a student of Trinity College, Cambridge. The 23-year old returned to his family farms in Woolsthrope Manor. After moving here to a safe distance from the horrific plague that almost wiped out the entire population of the city. It allowed Isaac Newton’s mind to journey to the farthest reaches of human imagination. Newton helped develop calculus. He analyzed color, light and the spectrum. Newton studied gravity, which aided in the creation of his laws of motion.When the plague abated by spring 1667, Newton returned to Cambridge and demonstrated his lifestyle during those plague days which in turn, changed the rest of the world forever.

William Shakespeare

STRIVING TO BETTER, OFT WE MAR WHAT’S WELL

In the early 1600’s, the Shakespeare’s company, the King’s Men, locked their playhouse doors due to the outbreak of bubonic plague and in his quarantine, he wrote “King Lear”. Reportedly he also wrote Macbeth, and Anthony and Cleopatra that year.


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