Full Moon Fever….Controlling the Werewolf in All of Us!
First Responders Get Busy
Police, fire and EMS personnel tend to get very busy during full moons, and the calls they get can be a little weirder than usual. The same can be said of hospitals, and many nurses and ER doctors will tell you that when there is a full moon, their patient loads tend to increase and patients themselves tend to be a little bit more combative and problematic.
While this can be seen as something that is par for the course and something that goes with the territory of their jobs, the reality is that people tend to have a herd mentality. Humans have an ability to sense how others are behaving and adapt accordingly. This is one of the reasons that small disturbances can turn into all-out riots. In other words, it doesn’t take a lot to turn an ordinary group of well-behaved people into mischievous and aggressive individuals.
Adapt or Fall
Due to the fact that people tend to be more of a problem during full moons, those who deal with the public are more likely to be less-than-thrilled about working the night shift during this time of the month. They prepare themselves mentally for the challenges they expect to face. They are more guarded, more alert and more on-edge because they expect things to be more hectic.
Whether full moons really alter behavior is immaterial. The fact is that these folks adapt in order to be on top of their game during this time of the month. Experience tells them that things will be different and they need to be ready to handle the unexpected and unpredictable.
We can learn a lot by their example. It is important to be prepared to adapt to the behavior of others, especially during periods of uncertainty and crisis. Expect people to change, to become less rational and predictable. Expect nice, normal and docile individuals to act out and pose a threat quickly and without a lot of warning.
One of the most important aspects of preparing for disaster is to be ready for the unexpected and never take anything for granted. Services will be overwhelmed, people will be panicking, and it only takes a small disturbance in the normal rhythm of our lives to cause society to descend into chaos. If full moons are any indication of the potential for humanity to get a little weird, imagine what can happen if they are suddenly thrust into a serious crisis that they are not at all prepared to handle.
Take a look around during the next couple of full moons and try and do some people-watching. Ask friends who work with the public what they think about this phenomenon. Ask them how they prepare, adapt and cope. Take what you learn and incorporate it into your preparedness efforts, because there will most certainly be times when you will need to adapt in order to meet unexpected threats and challenges as people become less predictable.