People Explain Which Lessons 2020 Has Taught Them

People Explain Which Lessons 2020 Has Taught Them
New Year 2020 Numbers - Free image on Pixabay

2020 has been intense and exhausting on so many levels it's not even funny ... unless semi-apocalyptic dumpster fires are your sense of humor. People are so over this year and it's not even autumn yet.

Thing is, being intense and exhausting doesn't necessarily mean it's all bad. Some of the most intense and exhausting things in the world eventually make you stronger and teach valuable lessons.

One Reddit user asked:

What has 2020 taught you?

Normally we save these sorts of things for a year-end wrap up, but we're a little more than halfway through and now seems like a good time to write some stuff down before we forget.

Time Management

There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want

- the_almighty_sock

I feel this man. I thought that with all the extra time I had I would get so much more done. Turns out I just need to get a lot better at time management.

- onewander

I always told myself I'd get more writing done without my day job. Then I lost my job from May to August... all that free time filled up fast... hardly any writing done.

- spaghettisandwich

Not Surprised, Just Disappointed

Sad Empire Strikes Back GIF by Star WarsGiphy

Came here to say how disappointed I am to find out that there are so many stupid, hateful racist morons among my countrymen. I always knew there was an element of that in society. I never knew it was so many damned people, though.

Makes we wonder how we ever got beyond living in caves and flinging poo at each other.

- OutlawGalaxyBill

I'd also add entitled to that list. It seems to be across the board; not just in any one demographic. I'm more shocked at seeing this trait in people aged 30 and up.

Grown ups are acting irresponsibly w/o regard for other people's rights or safety and throwing temper tantrums when they don't get their way. Worst of all are the ones who act like selfish, obnoxious a$holes and call themselves patriots for doing so. It baffles the mind.

- 2feetofftheground

Subject To Change

LIFE IS ALWAYS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Get out there and do the things you want to do because one day you may not be able to.

- cshady

I remember my last day of high school, I was becoming burned out and wanted a break from school for at LEAST a week... this is not what I wanted

- krexcent

Trump's election in 2016 kicked my rear into gear. I figured he would make the US such an international pariah that Americans would no longer be able to travel. So in 2017 I traveled to 22 countries.

Looks like I was right; only a handful of countries want Americans now.

- BubbhaJebus

Not Exactly A Loner

That I'm nowhere as much of a loner as I thought I was. I may not be the most sociable person of the universe, but spending months holed up in my room with basically no IRL human contact got old fast.

- evercheese

People mistake introvert for no social interaction. We just don't like big crowds where everyone is yelling and you can't have a conversation and you don't know most people. What we want is a small close group of friends 1-5 other people we are very intimate and deep with.

- Balauronix

90% of the introverts in my social circle feel this way. They still need some social contact now and then.

They just want to be able to do something low key 1-4x a month with friends, like invite them over for dinner, or play a boardgame.

- ignenrintegra

Level Up

That the baseline on what I can handle has leveled up.

- duck-yo-couch

Same. I feel like my anxiety and depression got better compared to everyone else as I realised I am way stronger than I thought I was.

- pajamakitten

FaceChan

I remember my grandma telling me I shouldn't be a nurse on Facebook because I don't value "life" because I don't calculate my entire electoral vote on the single platform of being against abortion. Or her and her online friends bullying me for having a different, not racist opinion. I finally had to block grandma.

I still talk to my grandma, just not on Facebook.

- Azamaline

Everything Sucks But Its Pretty Great

This is going to come across as pretty insensitive, but life is pretty great right now. In 2020, the following things happened for my family:

  • $20k raise
  • Wife got a new job with a $15k raise
  • Bought a new house
  • Son with autism is making progress on speaking more clearly (because we're actually working on his speech therapy, unlike school and his speech therapist)
  • Investments are doing great
  • Weekly D&D game happens pretty reliably

- Alrik


I think 2020 shows us the great divide of the haves and have nots. Some people are really hurting right now. Others are totally fine or are thriving. You'll see more of one group than the other depending on your socioeconomic class.

- thelyfeaquatic

It's important to remember that while you're doing good and that's amazing, the reason Reddit is like this is because it's awful right now for a lot of if not most people.

You got a raise, but I lost my job to covid, had to pick up an extremely taxing Amazon job in the interim, my girlfriend is under extreme danger being locked down alone with untreatable depression, and I have to go into NYC twice a week soon for school, making me extremely vulnerable and unable to interact with anybody for a semester.

Just keep that in mind, I guess. I'm far from the only one

- arcrticphreese

A Hug

couple hug GIFGiphy

Hug your spouse more. Man on man woman on woman man on woman whatever hug those who are there for you. Wife's an ER nurse I'm a firefighter working through covid non sense. The forced quarantine after contact with a positive pt has ripped us apart. It's hard to cope when your coping mechanism is behind glass out of reach. Hug your peeps peeps .

- lldumbcloudsll

2021 Won't Make It Better

That people will genuinely believe bad events will end just because the year is over.

Its overwhelming how many times I hear things like: "omg I cant wait for 2021, everything will be a fresh start" or "2020 can just leave"

Like, what do you really expect? All issues reset every January the 1st? Wtf.

- InconspicuousCupboard

So true. I fully expect January+ to be horrible. Violent protests over the US presidential election, riots, panic and stress reactions as people go back to more public living/offices, a resurgence of COVID. There is no way '21 is going to start well. I just hope it ends well.

- drwhogwarts

Nah I'm Good

I'm just as much of an introvert as I thought I was.

Don't get me wrong, I like hanging out with friends and I'm a pretty social person these days when I'm in a social environment. But I don't need it. I had a lot of people going stir crazy around me for lack of in person social interaction a month or two into quarantine. I never got there.

- muroid

Same with me. I don't miss seeing people, I don't miss coworkers, I don't miss friends in person. I got stir crazy from staying in place but having a change of scenery occasionally is all I need :)

For keeping in touch with peeps, chatting online is enough for me. Some of my friends and colleagues were up the wall wanting to find ways to hang out or do stuff but, seems like they've gotten better at managing it.

- emwo

Same here. Being happily married helps, though. I think if I were alone, I would be craving the occasional face to face interaction, but as it is, I'm just fine only interacting with people on the phone, or on a Zoom call.

- nakedonmygoat


Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

2020

People Share Their All-Time Favorite TV Sitcom Couples

Silhouette of a couple kissing
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

Among the many reasons people watch, and rewatch, sitcoms is to imagine your life was more like the one you were watching.

Being able to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Greenwich Village on a line cook's salary, somehow always having the comfortable sofa available at your favorite coffee shop whenever you pop in, or having your best friends always available at your beck and call whenever you need them.

For the romantics, however, it's wishing you could have a romance like you've seen on television.

True not all sitcom romances are exactly the sort that makes you go all aflutter (Were Ross and Rachel actually on a break? And don't even get me started about Ted and Robin.)

Other sitcom couples are so captivating, though, that we would have given anything to be at their wedding... or at the very least go to their home for dinner every Friday.

And this includes plutonic couples, as there is nothing more heartwarming than a lasting friendship.

Keep reading...Show less
sitcoms

People Divulge Their Biggest 'I F**ked Up' Experiences

a woman with her hands on her face
Photo by Kier in Sight on Unsplash

As an editor, I am not just in charge of proofreading and correcting style and format. I am also in charge of making sure all the contact information provided, such as phone numbers and emails, work.

After working for 10 hours straight a few months ago, I forgot to check the phone numbers and let a brochure go to publication with a phone number that did not work.

Luckily, a similar mistake had actually happened before with another editor for another client a year prior, so contact info on print materials like this brochure were checked by every department rather than just editorial, and the mistake was caught.

Since I didn't know this, when I heard the phone number was wrong, my heart dropped to my stomach and I thought I was sure fired. Luckily, I was just told to make sure this never happens again. I was relived that there was no fallout, but when I first heard what happened, my only thought was. 'I totally f**ked up!'

Redditors are no strangers to this feeling, as they've made egregious mistakes themselves. They are only too eager to share their experiences.

Keep reading...Show less
mistakes

People Break Down The Absolute Biggest Ways To Waste Your Money

A black and white photo of a seemingly distressed man holding a stack of 20s to his forehead
Travis Essinger on Unsplash

With the world's finances the way they are, it's a miracle if people can save their spare change.

Inflation has a stronghold on too many people.

Sometimes it feels like just breathing can cost you money.

It's hard to make and absurdly easy to lose.

So be vigilant with your wallet.

And try to spend on certain things in moderation.

Going out for meals three times a day adds up.

Even with Wendy's value menu.

Keep reading...Show less
money

People Debate Their All-Time Favorite Pasta Shapes

Freshly cooked rotini pasta noodles
Photo by Bozhin Karaivanov on Unsplash

We all have strong opinions about something, but when we think of opinions, we often think of hot button topics like political subjects.

But as it turns out, sometimes we can have just as strong of opinions of our preferred types of pasta.

Keep reading...Show less
favorite food