# The Fear Contagion By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2023-11-11 It's common in the American workplace for a co-worker or boss to contact someone on their day off. Typically, it starts with "I'm sorry to be bothering you on your day off but" and ends with something like can you do this thing or answer this question. It's worth considering how one responds to such a situation. But, it may be more important to consider how one feels they should respond to such a request. Some may feel they don't need to respond until the next work day begins. It's their day off, after all. I suspect this population is relatively tiny unless one has worked in Europe, where such "after-work hours" practices are being outlawed. Others may feel that they must respond quickly and with a happy tone. This could come from fear of losing one's job or a genuine desire to help. However, I suspect nearly everyone is driven by fear, given the current state of management and organizational bullshit. As intangible as joy and fear are, they are real and contagious in human organizations. But, some studies show negatives weigh on our minds six times more than positives. As a result, one could conjecture that fear spreads six times faster than joy. So, it is little wonder that fear quickly comes to infect everything and everyone. As an individual, one has the power to fight this. If one is a manager, do not reach out to people on their day off - no matter what. Even if it is in joy, it will cause a fear response due to how much fear is instilled in us today (think PTSD). If one is a worker, resist the urge to reply. Almost everything organizations do is pointless and not urgent. It is the illusion of progress and status. One will know if it is critical, and one can become a hero. Otherwise, ignore the bullshit and stop the cycle of fear. #### Related Items [[Fear]] [[Joy]] [[Organization]] [[Work]] [[Management]] [[American]] [[Vacation]]