(NEXSTAR) – Good luck getting us out of the house after the pandemic.
A new thread on Reddit is revealing the many things that we — a society living through a global pandemic — will never again consider doing in a post-COVID world.
The post, titled “What’s one thing we did before the pandemic that even if the world went back to normal you wouldn’t do again?” has so far generated over 12,000 responses, mostly from people who have no interest in commuting, working out of an office, or visiting acquaintances out of obligation ever again.
One user, whose comment was upvoted more than 7,000 times, said he has decided not to “accept people’s invitations just because they invite me, [and] not because I actually want to see them.”
Others agreed, saying they planned to turn down hangouts, parties, and even familial gatherings that they have no desire to attend.
“I’ve thrived in lockdown not having to subject myself to being social,” joked another.
A number of users also claimed to be more comfortable and productive when working from home, prompting thousands to agree that they would never consider commuting to a future job.
“Screw traffic, screw spending [two-plus] hours of every single day in a car, and screw dressing up professionally,’” wrote one user. “I work a computer all day and do not need to go in. If they try to make me, I will immediately look for another job.”
Another person noted that it was “going to take a lot of money to convince me not to work from home,” prompting a separate user to peg such a salary at around $150,000 per year.
“I guess $150K would definitely be my minimum to want to work in an office again (which would be about 3 times more than my previous office position pay was),” they wrote.
Speaking of work, plenty also agreed they plan to stop feeling anxious about calling out sick, for both in-person workers and those working from home.
“I’m never again going to feel guilty for calling off when I’m sick,” someone responded. “I always hated it before but now I’m adamant. If I’m sick, I’m staying home. If my nearby coworkers are sick, either they’re going home or I am.”
“Once my university started talking about how there would no longer be penalties for being sick,” a student chimed in. “It started the discussion about why there were ever penalties to begin with.”
Among the thousands of other responses, different members of the Reddit community offered up dozens of scenarios that they hoped would die with the pandemic, including the exchanging of handshakes, eating at buffets, or treating essential workers “poorly.” For the safety of others, plenty also claimed they would continue to wear masks whenever they felt sick, or refrain from blowing out birthday candles. A couple of candid users even proclaimed their newfound distaste for pants, of both the professional and jean varieties.
“I am sorry but those rough denim torture devices are no longer allowed on my body,” one person wrote. “It is only soft buttery leggings from here on out.”