No one can deny that the first year or so of the global pandemic was a difficult time for everyone.
In addition to the fact that people had to remain home, and limit all communication with friends and family through phone and video chat, people had to adjust to working or studying from home, and be on their guard when out and about in public.
But now, just over two years later and as things seem to be easing back to normal, one can now look back on these difficult years and realize the many lessons we as a society have learned.
Some might fill our hearts with hope and optimism and others which might infuriate us for the rest of our lives.
Redditor Affectionate-Ad1060 was curious to hear all the lessons, the good and the bad, people otherwise might not have learned were it not for the pandemic, leading them to ask:
"What is the most important lesson learnt from Covid-19?"
Healthcare needs fixing.
"Healthcare needs an overhaul."- Toxic_Politician
We could have been better prepared
"When the sh*t really hits the fan, we're f*cked."- idkijustlikememesetc
We overestimated people's concepts of basic decency.
"That it wouldn’t take much for civilized people to turn on each other."- hindmaja
"Most grown adults are nasty and have to be reminded to wash their hands."- shantyirish13
"People are sh*ttier than I expected."- WhitePhatAss
Cherish every moment
"You should take the time to spend with those you love."- idontworktomorrow
Nothing wrong with a little alone time every now and then.
"How comfortable I seriously am with just myself."- equidistant_life
Nothing.
"Bold of you to assume we’ve learned anything."- Airsoft07
Don't give in to vices.
"Alcohol doesn’t improve my life."
" t just feels good for a moment."
"9 months sober!"- bugaboo2013·
Major differences between city life and country life.
"The biggest take away I can come up with is how under serviced rural areas are."
"The local grocery store can’t offer curb side pick up, door dash doesn’t exist here, all the answers for what we should do in a pandemic aren’t feasible where there’s only 500 people."- medicff
It's necessary now and then to stop and reflect, something we all had plenty of time to do in the early months of the pandemic.
And though some major problems became more apparent, which we still need to continue working on, one can also appreciate that maybe the pandemic was the great big reset button the world needed to improve the many things which were otherwise being overlooked.
Here's hoping we remain proactive in continuing to make the world a better place.
A serious amount of introspection occurs when you're stuck at home with nothing but your Netflix watchlist and your thoughts to comfort you.
We've learned a lot, and seen a lot, as evidenced by these stories below.
Reddit user, idk_you_decide, wanted to know what new knowledge you've picked up during lockdown when they asked:
"What do we only know now because of the pandemic?"
Pre-existing health issues aside: Masks are not that big a deal.
We're All Ninjas, Aren't We?
"Many people look better with masks on"
ObessiusPrime
It's Really Not That Bad Stop Being Dramatic
"Life with masks is suprisingly comfortable"
nicholasbuchanan
"Masks also keep out bad odors, like cigarette smoke. It also helps when you're on public transit with a bunch of other people"
idk_you_decide
"I think I'd rather have no masks than masks, but I do see some benefits for them even when this pandemic is over."
"I haven't gotten sick in almost two years, not even a cold. And they really don't impede life much. I've gone to work with them in, flown with them on, shopped, even done super intensive workouts with them on."
"I think when this pandemic is over, I'll where them whenever I'm sick, or in public transportation."
bestprocrastinator
It's hard to recall what we thought of our fellow man before the pandemic fell on us. Did we think we were all a little bit smarter? Because after this past year and a half, it's certainly become obvious many people should go back to school.
Will Not Even Do The Bare Minimum
"Some people won't do the bare minimum to help others."
Syric13
"I was thinking the same thing. I was shocked to see how selfish and inconsiderate some people are out there."
idk_you_decide
"Yes I didnt know that people could be so stubborn, selfish, and inconsiderate until this pandemic, you tell people to do one thing for the safety of others, and they fight it tooth and nail"
idkbbitswatev
That's The End Of That Expression
"People don’t actually avoid things like the plague."
elositoesaqui
"I have rights." - "Way too many people"
Waffle-Azul
"They do have rights. What they lack is common sense and proper interpretation of those rights."
Ok_Butterscotch1549
I Read It On "Totally Real News Dot Com"
"Anti-intellectualism runs far deeper than previously imagined."
PlayDontObserve
"I thought it was 5% of the population. Turns out it closer to 30%."
siromega
Because Science Is Hard
"That most people have no actual idea how viruses and science works"
FireTrickle
Wearing It Like A Giant Red Flag
"Some people will do whatever they can to showcase to the world how sh-tty they are."
ManMan36
These Low Effort Jobs Have Surprisingly High Salaries | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Have you ever worked one of those jobs that paid you to kinda sit there? If you have, you know the joy that comes with watching the entirety of Breaking Bad ...We Never Needed To Know Who This Man Was
"Dr. Anthony Fauci. He's been one of the country's top medical scientists for decades. Most people never heard of him till trump brought him out into the spotlight to take part in his song-and-dance."
TheBelhade
Not everything we learned helped us.
Sometimes, what we learned were the worst kind of lessons of all.
We Didn't Have To Grind Ourselves Into The Ground
"There could have been a work life balance a long time ago."
ifruitninja
"Work from home is possible even in the worst time (a pandemic)."
"Imagine you could’ve worked from home and still met all your friends and family, celebrated together, went to bars and clubs."
"Work life balance would have been way better and digital meetings way more accepted."
Der_Neugierige
We Could Have Left Sooner
"At my job I thought I was irreplaceable. That if I took a day off it would all come crumbling down. Turns out nope. I quit and they replaced me almost immediately like I wasn’t even there at all."
"Don’t let your natural desire to fit in and contribute take away from what really matters."
Ok_Butterscotch1549
Rather Than Believe The Truth...
"That people really like conspiracies. Seriously many people who i know have either started believing them or began to believe them even more. And now it's impossible to talk with them. Not that i want to talk with people like them."
folgore248
Anything To Keep Hold
"Many people in power care more about appeasing their base than they do about actual science and public health."
"For many people, death is an acceptable outcome if you are old or have a preexisting condition, even if it could have been prevented with minor inconvenience to yourself."
SquirrelChaser515
Made In...Where?
"Just how dependent the USA is on China based on the supply chain situation l."
"I mean, I think we knew about this years ago but I really feel that people are starting to realize just how dependent the USA is on China for goods."
DarthGabe2142
Maybe Disaster Movies Are More Accurate Than We Thought
"That the world is not prepared for any kind of disasters"
Jedibri81
"And that the government and police aren't reliable to help."
pessimist_kitty
"Especially not here in America. Our infrastructure is woefully lacking in many areas."
"I suppose that's what happens when corporations more-or-less monopolize and run the country."
IiASHLEYiI
"That all movies about pandemics/zombie outbreaks/world disasters are even more unrealistic if a large portion of the population is not in denial that it is actually happening."
CanisNummun
"I think that's why Game of Thrones really struck a nerve. It opens with a zombie attack then spends several books/seasons focusing on governments who think the zombies aren't real and that it's isn't something to worry about. I remember trying to get into the Shannara Chronicles, but as soon as the heroes told the king awful event imminent, and the king was like "We'll hatch a plan and stop this immediately," I tuned out."
Agreeable_Vast_2269
Some People...That's The Biggest Takeaway. Some. People...
"We'll never achieve herd immunity to COVID-19 if ~30% of people refuse to get vaccinated. It's not that we didn't know high immunization rates were needed, it was the flat out refusal to get the shot by a large portion of society that was an unknown."
tusharbhutt
"Some people would rather die than be considerate human beings. It's extremely disappointing and disheartening"
idk_you_decide
Perhaps the biggest lesson we can all keep: Try to be a better person after all this. Help your fellow man and understand that there's more than just you in the world.
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People Explain The Reasons They Actually Like Wearing A Mask Unrelated To The Pandemic
Many people who abided by mask-wearing protocols during the pandemic have adapted to protect themselves and others from the contagious viral pathogen on a daily basis.
While various parts of the world still have varying levels of safety and health mandates in place, many people opt to wear masks, even though a particular establishment or other public places no longer require them.
Curious to hear why strangers would volunteer to wear a face covering, Redditor VerySlump asked:
"What’s a non-covid reason that you like wearing a mask for?"
Some people like that masks are a partial disguise.
Hiding Idiosyncrasies
"Whenever I’m concentrating or working on a task I tend to stick my tongue out or leave my mouth open and I really like it when people don’t see that."
– Conscious_Fondant634
What Loose Skin?
"Covers my double chin."
– Catlover2727
"Made me realize the top half of my face looks gooood. Chin waddle not so much."
– Unique-Drawer-7845
Covering Pimples
"Hides my acne."
– gabrielcutler21
"Thank you! A few years ago this tailgating lady confronted me and called me a druggie and I assume it was because of my acne and it really took the wind out of me. I really don't look like a methany... I hope?"
– shewholaughslasts
Self-Consciousness
"It hides my teeth."
– salmonsensual_69
"Same! Overbite checking in. I am considering getting braces while wearing a mask is still a thing."
– Blijerd
It's A Look
"Black mask goes hard with my outfit and hairstyle."
– pineapple_boiii
Half The Effort
"Don’t have to put on a full face of makeup. Fill in my eyebrows, put on mascara and I’m good!"
– tofueggs
Some prefer masks as a block from social stigmas.
Leaving A Shadow
"Nobody notices if I didn't shave."
– paulfromatlanta
These Low Effort Jobs Have Surprisingly High Salaries | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Have you ever worked one of those jobs that paid you to kinda sit there? If you have, you know the joy that comes with watching the entirety of Breaking Bad ...For The Introvert In All Of Us
"Allergies, and so I can ignore people."
– FightingBlaze77
"Took awhile before I found someone saying they can ignore people. For me it's more of I can fly under the radar of people I know. Sunglasses mask combo is complete anonymity!"
– deepdalecobra
Protection From Olfactory Assault
"Nasty smell in subway."
– ChristianaDarkness
"I agree. Smells in general."
– butterandsaltforever
Masks Make Me Look Attractive
"When this all started I noticed women making eye contact with me more than normal. The I figured it out, I'm a 6 foot tall guy in decent shape, nice hair, and a face like a chimpanzee. With the mask I look like I could be attractive."
– AUSTRALIA_IS_MADE_UP
Talking To Myself
"I can talk to myself without people seeing my mouth move."
– Weak_suicide
Workout Performance
"Same. I can 'lip sync' along to my Spotify while at gym and no one can see 😂"
– ChenzyHouse
Warmth
"I was in New York a month ago (I live in Florida). It wasn’t cold enough for New Yorkers to wear scarfs yet, but it felt like it to me because I live in the south. So wearing a face mask was a handy way to warm my face without looking like a tourist lol."
– selfmade117
Viral pathogens aren't the only things floating in the air that can wreak havoc when entered through your nasal cavity.
When The Pollen Count Is High
"I have pollen allergies, mask helps a TON."
– UnclePiccolo
Outfit For Lawn Mowing
"I wore a mask to cut my grass due to bad grass/weed allergies before Covid and now I wonder if my neighbors think I’m just insane wearing a mask cutting the grass now."
– Escalante81
A Shield For All Occasions
"I haven't had a cold for nearly 2 years IT'S BEEN AMAZING"
– fluffofthewild
Extra Protection
"I'm a fresh heart transplant patient and I'm required to wear one in public for the first year. Not strictly COVID, but literally any pissbaby infection that most anyone can shrug off could kill me at this stage. 🤷♂️"
– MikoRiko
When I was a kid, I always found it unusual that people in Japan always wore masks out in public.
No one bats an eye.
Turns out they were on to something. Many cultures outside the U.S. have employed the use of masks to prevent the spreading of the cold or flu or other infectious pathogens way before COVID-19 wreaked global havoc.
It's nothing for them in endeavoring to protect others and themselves from a nasty bug.
Personally, wearing masks actually trained me not to rub my nose in public, which is how I've been prone to getting sick in the past when my hands weren't always clean. So even if I don't have to, I wear one to make remind me that I don't have an itchy nose.
What are your non-pandemic reasons for wearing a mask?
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There are a lot of reasons to quit a job, especially during a pandemic. Not being appreciated, being overworked, burnout—even simple boredom.
Staying in a job you hate is soul-sucking, so it's no surprise that a lot of folks have decided to move on to bigger and better things recently.
Reddit user daraand asked:
"Why did you quit your job this year?"
Too Many Hours
72 hour weeks, was stressed out constantly. Kept getting passed over for promotions.
72 hours weeks
Bloody hell. This makes me appreciate some of the employment laws we have in place. Anything above 48 hours is illegal, regardless if it's on your contract or not. Your employer can ask but you're in no obligation to accept.
This is in the UK.
All Around Better
Found one that is Monday to Friday, same hours as my wife so we can carpool, and paid more for the starting wage than my last job did after working there for 2 years and getting a promotion. Win win win. Plus the actual work is more personally fulfilling. Goodbye retail!
Because Retail Sucks
Because working retail is crap and working retail during a pandemic is just life-draining.
So Tired
I was so tired of the politics, racism, and anger there. I just finished my second master’s degree and have decided after 20 years I’m switching careers and could not be more excited!!!
What's My Job Again?
- Got taken off a team I started and was on for 4.5 years and moved to a newly created team with 0 notice.
- New team is under a different director and also had other people pulled onto it.
- "This team was put together to work on a project that's very close to the CEO" we kept getting told.
- My experience is in a completely different tech stack. No idea why I was moved to this new team.
- Spent a month doing courses and trainings to learn this new tech stack at the behest of my manager and our lead engineer.
- Business kept changing their mind on what we were doing, so I had to keep changing what I was learning. (Flutter, Android, iOS, Kotlin, Spring) I was learning all of those from the ground up mostly. Nothing I was experienced in was useful on this new team.
- Lead engineer submitted his 2 weeks. Was tired of dealing with our management chain.
- After that, director pulls me into meeting. Says I'm not performing at the expected level. Why don't I have as many tickets done. etc etc. I explain that I've been doing courses and pair programming with our lead to learn the new code base. That I'm from a completely different tech stack. He doesn't believe me, says I should be learning outside of work hours. wtf.
- That's not how our company culture is at all.
- Lead engineer hears about this, pulls director into a meeting and yells at him for accusing me of not performing and lays out all the reasons as to why I am.
- Director pulls me into a meeting the next day to say "I guess I didn't have the full story", doesn't even really apologize. Like bro, I f**king told you the full story...
- I had a couple break downs during that whole week, so after that I took 2 weeks of vacation to think about sh*t and to de-stress.
- Came back, finished a small project in 2 days and submitted my 2 weeks.
And that is how I came to quit a company I had worked at for nearly 7 years that I really enjoyed working at. And how a tool of a director lost a Senior & Staff engineer from his 5 person team in the span of a couple weeks. I hope it reflects poorly on him.
People Describe Their Best Chance Encounters | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Are chance encounters really serendipitous or is it part of some grand master plan? While we may never have an answer for why we come to meet certain people ...Bad Management Has Consequences
Quit a job last year. The ceo/owner blatantly attempted to leverage Covid to permanently reduce salaries. Outright lied to our customers to get their business then dumped the responsibility of disappointing them on the teams assigned to do their implementations. Did other shady stupid s**t too.
Over about three weeks they lost 8 senior consultants and had to give the ones who stayed large incentives. Three of the ones who left were the entire leadership assigned to their largest customer. We loved our client and were very transparent with them before we last about what exactly had happened and why their project was going to miss all their deadlines. They used this to claw back much of what they paid. Many other customers did as well.
This year the company was acquired. They had been setting themselves for several years to be acquired, but we heard from friends who stayed that they were stuck taking far less than they could have because they had so royally screwed up last year.
Tl;dr idiot CEO assumed Covid would make his developers so thankful for their jobs he could cut their salaries. Backfired spectacularly ended up forced to sell his company for a lot less than he had been on track to sell it for.
Nothing But A Shade
They slowly sucked my soul everyday for 8.5 years until I was a shallow shade of myself
I feel that
Mental Health First
I was in middle management, desperately trying to keep my small team together with no help or support from the higher ups who were content on playing golf and smoking their cigars. My team was overworked, stressed, yelled at constantly by internal and external clients, and were given tools from 1998 to fix 2021 issues.
Luckily a former co-worker asked how things were going, I might have an opportunity for you...he's now my co-worker again, and I'm making 40% more than I was, no longer managing people, and back doing what I like doing: Learning new things and helping people.
Two things I learned:
Be nice to people because you never know what can happen down the road. They might call on you or you might need to call on them.
Mental health first. I had a mental breakdown and my former company said, "Are you quitting?" as their opening statement when I opened up to them. If you're not getting the support you need, go find it. I promise you, everything else will work out.
Overworked, Underappreciated
Worked so many hours, took so much on, and then was told I "wasn't engaged" so I found a job where they are thrilled to have me for 40 grand more a year. I feel like I've been de-programmed from a cult. I even have the energy to join a gym.
Took a few people to tell me I deserved my success before I started to believe it myself.
So Unprepared They Begged Me To Stay
I didn't have any opportunity for personal career development because the business refused to hire another developer for 2 years to help share the load.
I was constantly needed to help support legacy systems that were "going to be replaced soon" rather than allowed to work on anything new or things that would've helped me to improve.
After I gave my 2 weeks, they begged me to stay because they didn't have anyone left at the company who had looked at the legacy code base within the last 2+ years.
Even if you have to keep a job you hate because it pays the bills, there's no harm in shopping around while you work there. Submit a few resumés, you might get a great opportunity.
People Explain How Their Personality Has Changed Because Of The Pandemic
The pandemic upended many of our lives, and the stress only added to our anxiety from either worrying about succumbing to the virus or going crazy after months of self-isolation.
"How has your personality changed compared to pre Covid?"
The pandemic had a negative effect on these Redditors.
Self-Medicating
"For a time it became more drunk."
"I was stupid high for most of 2020."
Being On Edge
"I get angry more often, and have forgotten what patience is. I used to be a very patient person. But now everything annoys me!"
Inherent Introvert
"I realized that I'm more agoraphobic than I was previously aware, and that I prefer to be much more of an introvert than I had felt obligated to be prior to the pandemic."
"I don't hate socializing, but I am reluctant to go into public spaces around others if I don't have to. I think part of that is also due to my assumption that most people around me in public likely aren't vaccinated."
Meanwhile, these Redditors experienced a more positive outcome.
Social Butterfly
"I've become so desperate for human interaction, I've turned into an extrovert."
A Study Of Contrasts
"My mental health is actually better after digging deep into potential causes of my psychological problems. I've also recently changed careers and cities (moved to a much smaller area) and am happier. The downside is that my view of human nature has taken a hit. In the US, the anti-vax thing is really infuriating. Plus with the political chaos in 2020, it's just made me more cynical about humanity in general."
– Espron
Gaining Empathy
"Probably more sympathetic. Last spring I was so angry at how stupid people were. Now I get it. I don't agree with them, but I understand. Makes my job at the hospital easier."
Dispensing With B.S.
"A lot more chill and carefree. I used to be so wound up and concerned about how others viewed me, very wrapped up in FOMO, felt I needed to go out to clubs or parties and post about them so I could appear to others in a certain way. There was no way I could sit at home while my 'friends' went to a party/club."
"Now I don't care what others think, I'm not going out of my way to impress anyone. I feel a lot more sure of myself. Cut a lot of people out, cut social media down to an absolute minimum. Feel really good about myself."
Sobriety
"I quit alcohol. I always thought things weren't fun unless I had a drink. My kid's birthdays, football games, music, I was always drinking. I had no idea how much time I was missing with the people who loved me. I've been sober for six months and I have never been any happier in my life. So I guess the answer is, I've learned how to enjoy the things in life without having to have an altered state of mind."
Social media had a major impact on these Redditors.
Creeping Insecurities
"I was more confident before covid-19, now I question almost every action I do. I think it's because of all the social media I've consumed through this time."
– -WO_oT-
A Welcome Distraction
"Yes, less stress and anxiety. I express myself more, my account was started because of covid."
Many people claimed to have gained COVID weight. To avoid this, I adopted a new regimen out of concern for my health.
Pre-pandemic, I was moderately exercising. But when gyms closed for much of 2020, I forced myself to stay in shape by watching fitness videos on YouTube.
I've done more cardio than ever thanks to the fitness channels I've been following, and I feel much better with my spike in energy levels.
Yes, the pandemic sucked, but I opted for taking the lemons life handed us to making lemonade. I refuse to compromise my health because of a global health crisis.
I ain't going down.