When the Earth Shook: A Lesson in How We React

Yesterday, something happened that most of us in Thailand have never experienced before. The earth shook. An earthquake. Just reading that might sound strange because we don’t really get earthquakes here. For many people, it was the first time in their lives they felt something like that.

When it happened, we were all confused. I was confused too. I thought maybe I was dizzy, or maybe the wind was just strong. My phone didn’t warn me. Nobody around me said anything. But deep down, I knew something was off. And yes—it turned out to be a real earthquake.

In moments like that, people react in different ways. Some people panic. Some people cry. Some run outside. Some sit in silence. Some go online and ask, “What just happened?” Some even make jokes. Some continue to post happy things like usual. And all of that… is okay. There’s no right or wrong way to feel when something scary and unexpected happens.

But what came after the earthquake was also interesting—and a little sad.

A lot of people on social media started blaming others.

“Why didn’t the government warn us?”

“Why are people still posting happy things?”

“Why are you joking at a time like this?”

We get it. Fear and confusion make people upset. But let’s be honest—this was new for everyone. Not just us, but even the people in charge. Thailand doesn’t usually have earthquakes. We don’t have an app that warns us like Japan does. We don’t teach kids how to prepare for earthquakes. So maybe the people who work in safety departments were just as surprised as we were. Maybe they were just sitting in their office, drinking coffee, and suddenly everything started shaking.

They were human too.

And then there’s this other thing that always happens when something serious happens: people start judging each other.

If someone posts a selfie or a happy moment, people get mad and say, “This is not the time to be happy.”

If someone makes a joke, people say, “You’re being insensitive.”

If someone just doesn’t say anything at all, others say, “Why are you ignoring what’s happening?”

But here’s the truth—not everyone reacts the same way. And that’s okay.

Some people laugh to hide fear.

Some people joke because they don’t know what else to do.

Some people don’t even know what’s happening.

And some people just want to share something positive to make themselves or others feel a little better.

That doesn’t mean they’re bad people. It just means they’re human.

And when someone says or does something that feels “wrong” to us—maybe instead of yelling at them, we can take a moment to explain. To teach. To help.

It’s so much better to use our energy to educate people than to try to cancel them or destroy their image. That’s not kindness. That’s not justice. And that’s not how we grow as people.

You’re not perfect. I’m not perfect. No one is.

Sometimes people do stupid things—not because they’re mean—but because they don’t know any better. And that’s okay. That’s part of life. Life is about learning. And if we stop learning, then what’s the point?

o maybe instead of being angry that someone laughed, or someone smiled, or someone didn’t act the way you think they should—we can ask ourselves:

How can I help?

How can I be a good example?

We can’t control earthquakes. We can’t control the earth shaking.

But we can control how we treat each other in those moments.