Coronavirus in Massachusetts (warehouse, beverage, sales)

[brightdoglover]

I sure don't want to speak in memes or biz speak! Let's see, whatever comes "after" will not be the same as "before," for better and for worse.

[porterhouse]

Yeah, sorry, I’ve got no quarrel with your sentiment or you. I see how it came off like that.

[id77]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

But not necessarily reverting to the previous states of "normal." Of course, not end times or "not passing through" but a new normal, incorporating the changes and losses and events of the pandemics and world wars. Of course there will be an "after" of this pandemic, but not, I don't think, a reversion to things as they were before. That's for better and for worse, and we are nowhere near that point anyway.

If society as a whole liked things the way they were before the pandemic, it will make every effort to go back to that way of life.

I'm getting the impression some on here really want this to change "normal" forever. Why that is, I'm not sure, though I'm getting increasingly curious to figure it out. It's almost like if things don't change, they'll be disappointed.

[brightdoglover]

Originally Posted by id77

If society as a whole liked things the way they were before the pandemic, it will make every effort to go back to that way of life.

I'm getting the impression some on here really want this to change "normal" forever. Why that is, I'm not sure, though I'm getting increasingly curious to figure it out. It's almost like if things don't change, they'll be disappointed.

I'm thinking of big picture things. Like in the U.S., unaffordable/unavailable health insurance coverage. Very uneven funding for public schools (real estate taxes?) Wild high tuition for higher education. Systems problems.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by id77

If society as a whole liked things the way they were before the pandemic, it will make every effort to go back to that way of life.

I'm getting the impression some on here really want this to change "normal" forever. Why that is, I'm not sure, though I'm getting increasingly curious to figure it out. It's almost like if things don't change, they'll be disappointed.

That is true. But look at this forum. It's very uptight (pot! Hipsters! Poly!) and anti fun. Mostly miserable people. There is a sentiment (which is at the basis of much of the problems of this rich but underperforming country) of relative unhappiness. A lot of people think its all a competition. Its me vs them. If I can't make myself happier, the next way to rise up is to tear others down. So, much of the sentiment here is that the pre covid normal was bad, so let the tearing down of others be permanent. There is a perverse happiness with tearing down of others here.

[id77]

Originally Posted by timberline742

That is true. But look at this forum. It's very uptight (pot! Hipsters! Poly!) and anti fun. Mostly miserable people. There is a sentiment (which is at the basis of much of the problems of this rich but underperforming country) of relative happiness. A lot of people think its all a competition. Its me vs them. If I can't make myself happier, the next way to rise up is to tear others down. So, much of the sentiment here is that the pre covid normal was bad, so let the tearing down of others be permanent.

Well, Massachusetts was settled by Puritans, who had a haunting fear that somewhere, someone might be happy.

[id77]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

I'm thinking of big picture things. Like in the U.S., unaffordable/unavailable health insurance coverage. Very uneven funding for public schools (real estate taxes?) Wild high tuition for higher education. Systems problems.

Those sound like lovely problems to fix, though I don't see how a virus-related shutdown will break the resistance to enacting them. Yet to run into anyone who hated entitlement spending before the pandemic and now has since come around 180 degrees since.

If anyone thought this pandemic would rattle us into uniting together as a nation to do the right things for everyone, they don't know Americans very well.

[Bridge781]

The only thing I don’t want to change is going back to the office. I’m hopeful that work from home becomes more of a thing forever. I know many people feel the same way I do and I also know many that want to get back to the office. It seems the people that want to go back to the office feel anger towards those who don’t.

I do worry when it will be be comfortable to ever have a large gathering again. Right now it feels like it will never be safe.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by id77

Well, Massachusetts was settled by Puritans, who had a haunting fear that somewhere, someone might be happy.

And if you're happy, you are sinning.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

The only thing I don’t want to change is going back to the office. I’m hopeful that work from home becomes more of a thing forever. I know many people feel the same way I do and I also know many that want to get back to the office. It seems the people that want to go back to the office feel anger towards those who don’t.

I do worry when it will be be comfortable to ever have a large gathering again. Right now it feels like it will never be safe.

I think the relative anger is toward privilege and lack of self awareness. Those that can fully, or even mostly, wfh and be equally productive are relatively few in society. There is some anger towards those that assume or believe that being able to work from home is a viable solution for the majority of the workforce.