People are sharing 10 important lessons that they learned in isolation during the pandemic

What did the Pandemic teach us?

The pandemic was a very testing time for everyone. It challenged our resilience and adaptability, while also emphasizing the importance of prioritizing our health. There was something about not being allowed to step out freely that made us realize how much we valued our freedom. In addition to that, with everything becoming online, people realized how important it was to have shared experiences and not rely too much on technology. u/AbruptDust asked people, "What is the most important lesson we learned from the pandemic?" Here are 10 of the most insightful answers that people had to share.

1. Being called a hero is not exactly good.

"The more they call you a hero, the more disposable you are." —u/stolenfires. "My hospital put up a gigantic (like 100 feet long and 10 feet tall) sign about heroes working there. Meanwhile, we are all getting sick, people are dying, we're all depressed and suicidal and the hospital did nothing. We had to scream to get some extra pay for the hell we were in. The second they thought they could get away with it, everything they gave us was snatched away. Despite being in another surge." —u/ChapInGrillSgt

2. Civility is a fragile thing.

"That it wouldn’t take much for civilized people to turn on each other." —u/darianbender. "I saw that when there was a local tap water contamination issue here. There were fistfights in the shops over people trying to hoard trolleys of bottled water. The water was expected to be fine again in two days. If they drove ten miles away the tap water was fine to drink and the shops were full." —u/anomalous_cowherd

3. Healthcare needs a lot of changes.

"Healthcare needs an overhaul." —u/karlicooley. "Work in healthcare. We've been saying it since well before COVID. No one listens. The next pandemic will likely destroy US healthcare if it hasn't already collapsed before that." —u/ChapInGrillSgt. "Public health, especially. Sadly, I think the reaction to the pandemic made it regress. I see less PPE than ever." —u/lejean. "Don’t forget about the insurance industry while we’re at it." —u/Old-Alfalfa-6915

4. Social distancing can be beneficial.

"I enjoy staying 6 feet away from people minimum." —u/tator216. "There was a couple behind me in a checkout queue at a retail store earlier today and the guy was so close behind me, like an inch or two. I am recovering from a nasty cold and will have a random coughing fit out of nowhere so when one hit me, I politely coughed into my jacket but I think he got the message because when I moved up, they did not. Like do you not get that strep, RSV, flu and COVID are rampant right now in our area? Back the f*** up people." —u/NerdEmoji

5. Family is very important.

"I learned that I put my career ahead of my kids. Pre-pandemic the kids were in school & after-school care until my husband picked them up. I was getting home around 8:30/9. Quarantine was the most time I had spent with them since they were toddlers. I cried when they went back to school because I truly cherished March-August, 24/7, with them. Ended up quitting my job so I would be home for them. The pandemic taught me that family is more important and you really cannot get that time back. It’s really unfortunate that 4 years later, a 2 income household is now the only way to afford both living expenses & groceries." —u/lightningqueen001

6. People tend to be stupid.

"People are stupid." —u/ImpliedSlashS. "Sometimes I think about how people today would react to things like air raid blackouts. My grandma tells stories about them, you'd have to turn off all your lights and the streetlights would all go off at a scheduled time. And people did it because there was good reason for it. Now, I'm pretty sure some would build spotlights just to be spiteful. Then how about actual shortages and rationing? Not of luxury goods, but of things like flour and cheese. Folks went nuts over imagined shortages. A bit of a family heirloom is a glass washboard, they used glass because there was a local glass factory and there wasn't any aluminum or steel." —u/Reddit

7. It became quiet and peaceful for some time.

"If a more dangerous disease does ever come along in my lifetime, I may finally enjoy some peace." —u/UsernameProfileCheck. "Not in America. Over half of Americans don't acknowledge its existence. As a country, we don't care and haven't for years. We won't shut down for a zombie outbreak." —u/Reddit. "I'm a 90s kid, and COVID was the 3rd pandemic I have experienced. Biggest one ofc, but more will come." —u/MarlinMr

8. Remote work is effective.

"You can work from home effectively." —u/Definitely_Maybe_OK. "I live in Melbourne, Australia. We had the longest lockdown on the planet and, as a result, pretty much all jobs that can be hybrid have become hybrid. I work from home full time. If you had asked me in 2020, "Would you limit your outdoor activity for six months in exchange for never having to commute to work again?" I would say the same thing I'd say now. F****** yes, please." —u/Livid_Inflation4323

9. Social isolation freaked people out 

"I've been living paycheck to paycheck for years. This means being socially isolated at home. You go to work and then you go home. Occasionally you can afford to go out somewhere and haircuts become a low-priority thing. The way I lived for a decade other people did for 2 weeks and started freaking out." —u/jackfaire. "As a disabled person who can’t drive and has always had to rely on delivery services for my food, groceries, household items, etc- I felt this on a deeper level. I’m confused as to why other people who are able-bodied aren’t resilient enough to adapt."—u/I_can_get_loud_too

10. Healthcare should not be linked to jobs 

"Two lessons that I wish we (the USA) had learned, but haven't. Children should not be dependent on schools for nutrition. Too many poor children suffered when schools were closed because they would normally get subsidized breakfast and lunch. Healthcare should not be tied to employment. (Yes, there are other significant issues with healthcare here, but this is pandemic-related.) When people lost jobs in the pandemic, they lost health insurance. If not for emergency measures to treat COVID, things could have been much worse. As it was, people suffered hardships if they were unemployed and became ill or injured under other circumstances." —u/FulltimerPC