To think some people are ‘enjoying’ the pandemic

[Flynnqwer]

I’ve noticed an attitude amongst some people where they’re nothing short of praying for a new, more lethal, variant.

I’ve noticed it amongst people I work with and people I do a hobby with. Any discussion about going back to our workplace (we can work from home but not easily or particularly effectively) once the Government ends the restrictions on waiting from home, or back to our hobby in real life instead of on Zoom (the hobby is controlled by a central board who are following the WFH advice until it is lifted) are met with cries of ‘No! We can’t do that! It’s dangerous!’ and it anyone points out that, thankfully, it looks like the vaccination programme is working and Omicron is less severe, they come back with ‘but what if there’s a more lethal strain that appears and kills millions?’

My workplace has one element which has legally got to be done in person. I have had emails today from managers begging us to cancel said work thing and do it online. We cannot do it on line lawfully (it’s along the lines of witnessing signatures). We have told them no, we must go into the building for an hour to fulfil this function. They are saying that that is breaking the working from home directive, that it’s unsafe, and what if a deadly variant is discovered? Then we’d have to find a way around the law.

AIBU that some people are actively hoping that the situation worsens and we are locked back down? Why would anyone want this to happen?

Agree with OP 100%

I'm definitely not "enjoying" the pandemic in so far as I'd never wish illness on anyone, but I do love the lockdown lifestyle. You can love one aspect but hate the cause.

Are you even in the UK? You've got that sense of amped up, hysterical polarisation that I typically associate with US twitter politics.

@dontsaythj
I see some some amped up, hysterical, personal comments there, clearly aimed at polarising and not intended to form the basis of reasonable discussion, and I am not sure what I have done to warrant that, apart from disagreeing with certain posters that we are still experiencing a pandemic.

You do realise that this is a global problem (hence 'pandemic') and it affects humans all over the developed world in exactly the same way?

@Flynnqwer
Okay, I’ll engage with you one more time. I imagine you don’t get too much real life engagement.
The only explanation I can find for your ad hominem is that you don't like it when people disagree with your strident opinions.

The drinks after work culture is something you don't find in other countries and young and middle aged alike seem to do just fine without it.

@mathanxiety

Yes, it is a global problem. However, if you're not even based in the UK then the country's covid restrictions are not your concern. I fail to see why you'd be stringently debating them online or attempting to convince us that we should remain locked down. Move on.

@Mo1911

I'm definitely not "enjoying" the pandemic in so far as I'd never wish illness on anyone, but I do love the lockdown lifestyle. You can love one aspect but hate the cause.

What exactly do you mean by 'lockdown lifestyle'

Wfh - well then get a job that has this as an option anyway, no need for the gov to impose it

Less socialising - you can choose to socialise less, no need for restrictions stopping other people

More free time - your time is yours to fill as you choose (with possibly the exception of work but even then you can find a different job if you don't like current hours) - why must there be restrictions stopping you from doing this rather than you just saying no

Furlough - yeah I get that, I was furloughed for a while too and it was nice in a way for a bit but I'd still rather work and have all my other freedoms than be furloughed and my life restricted

So what is it exactly about 'lockdown lifestyle' that you can't just make your lifestyle and actually requires a pandemic/restrictions/lockdowns to facilitate ongoing?

Wfh is great, not having to listen to and being distracted by boring conversations all day is so blissful. I think sometimes people don’t realise their lives aren’t all that interesting to colleagues and being polite gets tiresome.

YANBU. Although I think some people were also hoping for a brave new post-pandemic world that suited them much better than the previous one, and are disappointed to find so many people don't share their view and are keen to go back to a normal world of crowds and offices and socialising, yuk yuk yuk.

(I don't mind that some of my colleagues have really preferred WFH and would like to keep doing it. I would like the people trying to impose it as default on the whole organisation and pretending they're gallantly doing the rest of us a favour to shut up, though. "It's so much better this way!" Yes Barry, we've all seen your lovely kitted-out garden office.)

I find it weird that some people think that no one could actually enjoy covid in itself, the drama, the opportunity to be demanding, etc.

This is not something that is limited to covid. There have always been certain personality types that are like this.

@GoldenOmber

YANBU. Although I think some people were also hoping for a brave new post-pandemic world that suited them much better than the previous one, and are disappointed to find so many people don't share their view and are keen to go back to a normal world of crowds and offices and socialising, yuk yuk yuk.

(I don't mind that some of my colleagues have really preferred WFH and would like to keep doing it. I would like the people trying to impose it as default on the whole organisation and pretending they're gallantly doing the rest of us a favour to shut up, though. "It's so much better this way!" Yes Barry, we've all seen your lovely kitted-out garden office.)

Yes

People who raved about the 'new normal' are now shocked and horrified that it hasn't become normal. It was in fact just a temporary coping strategy.

In lockdown 1 so many people got ideas in their head of wfh and similar being permanent, to the point where some even sold their houses and moved to rural faraway places (I'm not making this up, there were threads on here, you can look them up). Now that that hasn't happened people are panicking (because even hybrid work involves being relatively close to your office) so clinging onto the lifestyle they enjoyed (or even structured the rest of their lives around). For some the only way they can do this is if more restrictions come in, so they secretly hope for them so they're new lifestyles don't get fucked.

Im a lockdown lover. It slowed my family down. My dh was home, I worked extra (it wasn't full time) We went on walks together.

We've kept that up. Stopped the constant clubs and walk or ride places instead of using the car. I wouldn't want it again, but that's only for others. For me it's fond memories.

@Flynnqwer nasty. I have a very active social life with friends. It is why I don't need to go into the office to see people.

@goawaystormy more jobs are becoming wfh. In my industry anyone who is not offering wfh as an option, is struggling to recruit.

[quote AllThePogs]@goawaystormy more jobs are becoming wfh. In my industry anyone who is not offering wfh as an option, is struggling to recruit.[/quote]
And that's all well and good. People who want to wfh in your industry can. What exactly does that have to do with anything I've said?

I agree .

The reason is that for many of us our lives have incredibly improved by not having to spend ours commuting and more flexibility . It's made people reflect on what we used to work like - 2 hours a day commute to sit in a dull office .

I don't want to go back , don't actually have to either - I can do my job far better without the office actually .

It's a awful this recognition had to come at the expensive of thousands of peoples lives , the NHS , health , businesses .

@goawaystormy you claimed wfh is not a permanent change in many industries. It is. And it is irrelevant how much the government complain about it. They cant control business practices however much they want businesses to keep paying for expensive offices.

I'm certainly not enjoying the pandemic but I have enjoyed the option to work from home that was never a possibility before. My job was looking to get everyone back into the office after 18 months, around Christmas time and then the new variant happened and the advice was to continue to work from home so I was happy about that but I certainly wasn't hoping for it. I'm far less worried now that vaccines are available. Still not wanting things to escalate just so I can stay home though.

I have about 8 hours extra a week because I no longer commute. That is a full working day I now have to spend time with my family or just mess about on MN.

@Flynnqwer

I just cannot understand why those who want to sit in the house till the end of time can’t do so, and leave the rest of us to get on with our lives. They don’t want to leave the house, but they don’t want to miss out, so they want everyone to sit on Zoom with them. And people are mown saying no, so they’re longing for cases to rise so that restrictions are kept in place or made more severe.

Several people on this thread have said they’re secretly hoping cases get worse so they don’t need to go back to the office/socialise with people again. The problem is that it’s actually not a secret - it’s so obvious to those who talk to them in real life that they are desperate for the pandemic to take a bad turn.

What odd, broad, sweeping generalisations to make about people you don't know. You admit at the beginning you don't understand, and that's probably the only accurate thing you write.

You cannot understand an individual's motivations for doing anything, and it is wrong of you to make such naive assumptions of their intentions.

Well said, @Dishhh

Though I would substitute 'mean-spirited' for naive.

[quote AllThePogs]@goawaystormy you claimed wfh is not a permanent change in many industries. It is. And it is irrelevant how much the government complain about it. They cant control business practices however much they want businesses to keep paying for expensive offices.[/quote]
Just because your and other industries are offering permanent wfh now (good for you if you like) doesn't mean all are. Many still aren't. The vast majority are moving to hybrid but that's still not fully wfh. It's the people working in these industries and companies, who love the wfh only, who secretly want restrictions back but it's the only way they can have it.

Just because your industry is permanent wfh doesn't mean all are. Your one specific answer of your industry being different is irrelevant to the overall point I was making.

I don't think people are actually enjoying the pandemic, after all it means people are sick and some die. However I do believe many have enjoyed lockdown, not having to go out or see people.

Yes, it is a global problem. However, if you're not even based in the UK then the country's covid restrictions are not your concern. I fail to see why you'd be stringently debating them online or attempting to convince us that we should remain locked down. Move on.

@dontsaythj
The country's covid restrictions are absolutely my concern thanks to the global nature of travel and also thanks to the fact that I have many relatives and friends in the UK.

You seem to not believe that people anywhere have any responsibility to neighbours, to a wider community, to the rest of the world. I disagree with that. I find your blinkered attitude really reprehensible, and you clearly don't understand the implications of the fact that the pandemic is a global problem.

I personally don't want to see any new UK variant spreading to the place where I live, and even more disruption of life than there is right now.

YANBu - I know some people who are enjoying the pandemic. Positively relishing it.