Part 3: Who can suffer the most “for the greater good.”

Dear Uncle Screwtape,

Your counsel is, as always, exquisitely timed. The Great Lockdown, yes, I see it clearly now. I was too focused on the masks alone when the true masterpiece lies in confinement itself! How quickly the humans accepted the idea that retreating into their homes would somehow save them, and now, their isolation — oh, Uncle, it is delicious. I hadn't fully appreciated just how deeply we can press this advantage.

You’ll be delighted to know that many of them are now utterly convinced that their freedom depends on how strictly they isolate themselves. They are policing each other’s movements, tracking who dared to visit relatives, who slipped out for an “unnecessary” walk. The best part? It’s not us imposing these restrictions anymore — they’re doing it to themselves. I never anticipated they’d become so… enthusiastic about their own imprisonment. But you knew this would happen all along, didn’t you?

Of course, I’ve stoked the fires further by ensuring they believe that life as they once knew it is just around the corner. The obedient ones lap up each new extension of the lockdown, convinced that every delay is the key to final victory. They’ve stopped asking when it ends and started competing to see who can suffer the most “for the greater good.” There’s something wonderfully dark in that, isn’t there? They’re proud of their misery.

Yet, a small, nagging thought remains. Some of them are slipping through the cracks. A few bold souls are starting to question. Worse still, some are finding solace in little rebellions — gathering quietly, whispering about “balance” and “mental health,” can you believe it? I can feel the cracks forming. Should I clamp down harder, or is there another way to feed their frustration?

Awaiting your guidance,
Dr. F

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Dear Nephew,

Ah, yes, the cracks. Always the cracks. I’m pleased that you’ve anticipated them, but let me assure you — they are not the disaster you fear. You see, my dear Doctor, rebellion, like all things, can be harnessed. These quiet whisperers of balance and well-being are only dangerous if left unchallenged. I recommend you amplify them, rather than suppress them outright.

Now, don’t mistake my meaning. The key is not to allow them to actually succeed in their little protests. No, no. Instead, you must take their rebellion and warp it. Frame their defiance as selfishness, as a direct attack on the safety of their neighbors. Nothing turns a well-meaning plea for “mental health” into an object of scorn faster than a few well-placed accusations of irresponsibility. Encourage the others to see them as the reason the lockdowns must continue — after all, if they weren’t so selfish, wouldn’t the pandemic be over by now? Ah, the burden of collective responsibility! No one is more easily manipulated than those who believe they are upholding a higher moral standard.

You must also ensure they continue to believe that life is just on the verge of normalcy — but only if they endure a little longer. Feed them ever-shifting promises: “just one more month,” “a few more weeks,” “until the next variant is under control.” Watch how they cling to the hope of freedom while simultaneously accepting that it will never fully arrive. The beauty is in the illusion of progress, my dear nephew, and in the belief that those who disobey are the only thing keeping them from their longed-for release.

And don’t worry too much about the whisperers. Even if they gather in their secret circles, they are easily divided. Turn the masked against the unmasked, the plexiglass-ed against the free-death-breathers, the “cautious” against the “reckless.” Create so many divisions that no group can form a coherent resistance. Keep them isolated in every way that matters, physically and mentally, and they will never know how to unite against you.

The lockdown isn’t merely a temporary restriction; it’s a state of mind, Dr. F. Once the humans internalize this, they’ll build their own prisons and guard them with fervor.

Now, go forth and sow more division. I look forward to hearing of your progress.

Your affectionate uncle,
Screwtape

Our ongoing series on the Covid Screwtape Letters.