In an age of unpredictable global leadership and heightened geopolitical tensions, the British public is once again being tested, much like during the period between the Munich crisis of 1938 and the Blitz in 1940. Historian Prof. Julie Gottlieb’s study of letters, diaries and newspapers from that era reveals the emotional toll of living “suspended between peace and war,” with companies advertising “nerve tonics” for the anxious and reports of women buying hats to lift their spirits.
However, the public mood today seems almost as disconnected from the seriousness of the moment as it was in the weeks before the first Covid-19 lockdown, with people going about their daily lives as if nothing extraordinary is happening. This raises the question: how should the British public respond to the “war of nerves” unfolding under the shadow of a rogue US president?
The answer, according to columnist Gaby Hinsliff, may lie in adopting a “Scandinavian mindset” – a certain emotional sturdinesscharacterised by fostering resilience, strong social bonds, and a healthy work-life balance. Preparing for the worst, while also knowing when to switch off and find joy in the small pleasures of life, could be the key to surviving this modern “war of nerves.”
As Hinsliff notes, the challenge is not to normalise the actions of President Trump, but to learn to live with the chaos as the new normal. Embracing a degree of “frivolity” and not always bearing witness to every development may be crucial to maintaining one’s sanity. After all, as Virginia Woolf wrote during the Blitz, it is the “vastness and the smallness” that make survival possible.
In these uncertain times, the British public must draw on the lessons of the past to find the resilience and resolve required to weather the storm, while also remembering to take pleasure in the simple joys that make life worth living, even in the face of looming crisis.
