Panic buying.

Water has still not come to the central part of Bangkok where I live. Yet the shelves in the stores have been empty of many items for at least two weeks now. I can't buy bottled water anymore. I think that this is what happens when panic enters the community psyche.

Then, someone else here, alerts me to something else that is at play in this. He mentions how he keeps buying food, even when he knows that he doesn't need it. He just calmly describes this as buying 'comfort food'. How true!

When in times of doubt, stress or insecurity, we need to build up our defences and sense of personal comfort. One way of doing this is by buying up big. I also see this around me as people build these walls around their businesses and residences. Will they stop the flooding if and when it comes? Given the level of water, no, they won't. What they serve to do is to make people feel more secure, even if that security is false or short lived. How vulnerable, we all are! That is part of the human condition we all share.