the more they remain the same.
The global unanticipated ( not really) pandemic has brought about a lot of changes- Work from home, a mortal fear and anxiety, really getting to know people you live with, etc. But the one thing that has remained consistent is the gyaan people have been spewing on social media, particularly Linkedin- about how this is a time of permament change, brands and companies will be remembered years later on how they treated their employees during this difficult times and other such optimistic opinions.
To which I call bullshit.
See this isnt the first epidemic or crisis humankind is seeing, its definitely the first our generation is seeing. If surviving crises turns us into beautiful humans, we would have expected a far more giving and beautiful world handed to us from our ancestors right? But one look at any history book and you would know that it isnt true.
Research has shown that poeple's happiness levels don't change too much from their baseline,a year after a dramatically positive event ( winning the lottery) or a tragic event( paralysis and inability to walk). These events seem life-changing and mere months after this, we get used to our new normal and go back to our baseline happiness levels. No research has been conducted yet, but am willing to bet that our asshole levels will jump back to the baseline a few months after this event.
This is not to say that this wont have any impact on any of us. To be sure, some of us might emerge from this lockdown with an appreciation of life that they previously didnt have, some companies might decide that this remote working isn't too bad, after all. But overall, on a global scale I bet that we will all go back to our original anxieties, problems, happiness levels and more importantly, assholiness.
To be clear, am not saying we will turn into bigger assholes than we already are. It may seem like that looking at the toilet paper hoarders and sadistic policemen, but there are enough stories of kindness to balance those out. If we get out of this relatively unscathed, we will remain exactly the same, as a species.
But the operative word there is If. If we survive.
