Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Confess What 2020 Has Taught Them About Themselves

If there's one thing we can say about 2020, it's that it's been a very troubling year for many of us.

Between political polarization and upheaval, mass protests, social isolation during a global pandemic that has killed millions of people, and the abrupt halt to life as we once knew it, 2020 is a year many would rather forget.

I went back to school––figured it'd be a good way to use my time. That isn't to say I wasn't struck by anxiety and depression this year either... it's been frightening at times, saddening at others.

But it's also provided many people ample opportunity to pause and reflect, as we heard from the online community after Redditor rivergame asked, “What has this year made you learn about yourself?"


"They all just blur together."

How much of a chunk of my money I spend on recreational pursuits. Without that avenue available, my bank account has swelled.

However, spending months upon months alone has made days meaningless. They all just blur together. I often don't know what day of the week it is.

stupidlyugly

"That my lifestyle..."

That my lifestyle is almost identical to a quarantine.

FonkyChonkyMonkey

"I like people..."

I like people more than I thought I did and I will be saying yes to more invitations when it's over.

Cherrynotastripper

"I may hate commuting..."

That I'm not introverted enough to basically stay in isolation for six months and still feel fine about it. I may hate commuting and open offices and being around people a lot, but I guess I still need at least some social contact.

cheat-master30

"That people actually like me..."

That people actually like me and dont just get annoyed because of me every time i speak to them.

TheAlpaka

"There is such a thing..."

There is such a thing as spending too much time with your family.

TheNameIsPippen

"It showed me..."

It showed me how fast life can actually be over. Many people died around me, my dad died a few weeks ago. This year showed me how expensive and fragile life is.

Bruder_Bob

"That everyone around you..."

That human contact, like a hug, is f***** important. That everyone around you is also struggling with problems, and being kind sometimes has a profound impact on people's lives. And that people act like a bunch of nuts when an epidemic spreads.

salimeeroo

"I must have cycled through..."

I get bored of things REALLY quickly. I must have cycled through the same 4 or 5 console games at least four times throughout the pandemic, I've been struggling to finish books, I used to love watching movies and now I barely watch one every week.

myexploder89

"I'm a nurse..."

I should appreciate essential workers more. I'm a nurse but HOLY F*** do I appreciate grocery workers, mechanics, mail carriers, and everyone in a sector that a Karen will ask for your manager. My parents were essential workers (grocery and garbage workers). I was embarrassed to tell people growing up. Now I wear that with pride because they worked so damn hard to raise me and my siblings.

HookerofMemoryLane

"I felt like I had it under control..."

My anxiety is worse than I thought. I felt like I had it under control, but now I'm on unemployment and the thought of going back to work makes me sick. What if I'm not a good employee? What if I forget all of my training? What if my health problems keep me from working like I should?

suspiciousbutton

"It's sort of nice..."

I am an extremely generic person. There is absolutely nothing special about me at all. If I vanished from the face of the earth tomorrow the impact it would have would be so miniscule that I can only imagine 2 or 3 people being affected by it for more than a few weeks.

And to be honest that's both a little sad and a little relieving. It's sort of nice to know one's actual place in the universe no matter how inconsequential it might be.

PunchBeard

"I've learned that I'm way happier..."

I've learned that I'm way happier and more productive working from home than in an office and kind of dread going back.

BerserkBoulderer

"I use food to cope..."

My relationship with food really is unhealthy. I use food to celebrate or to cope with every significant up and down in my life. I've gained weight and gotten back to a size I swore I'd never get back to (282 lbs). I'm going to start losing weight again, but looking at my habits this pandemic, I'm surprised I'm not bigger.

OvertOperation

"I really thought..."

That my anxiety didn't get better when my financial situation improved due to being an essential worker and having a period of free childcare and no extracurriculars for the kids.

I really thought if I just had some more money, life would be easier. Boy was I wrong!

eesveeaye

"Since then..."

I'm naturally very depressed/anxious. When my gym closed down I spiraled, had my first panic attacks ever and realized that exercise was really the only thing that allowed me to keep it at all together. Since then I've purchased a refurb stationary bike and it has been the single best investment of my life.

DashiFlakes

"I always thought that if I went to prison..."

I always thought that if I went to prison I would work out every day, lose a bunch of weight, and gotten fit. 2020 quarantine has proven this would not be the case.

AuntieJill

"In reality..."

How much money I spend. I honestly thought I was thrifty and I needed to make more money to save or pay down debt. In reality, I just needed to spend less.

Okay-Statistician1513

"I'm really content..."

I'm really content with spending time by myself. With quarantine in effect my life hasn't really changed. I've always kept my distance from people in public, genuinely prefer takeout over sitting down in a loud restaurant, and most of my hobbies don't require me to be in large crowds of people.

I did however plan a trip this past year to try and get out of my comfort zone to try new things. However, with the pandemic hitting hard I wasn't taking any chances so I canceled.

tex55ky

"And when you stop worrying about time..."

That time, or rather "schedule" is an illusion.

I used to be so attached to having a specific schedule and waking up early to be productive, and felt worried if I "wasted" the morning sleeping and not being productive.

Now I realize that it doesn't matter when you wake up or go to bed, doesn't matter whether you're at home or at your office, or if the sun is up or down, you can just treat time as a continuous resource that you can invest in any way you want to reach your goals. And when you stop worrying about time, you start getting more involved in what you do, and you delve deeper into it, rather than having a strict schedule in which you try to fix tasks to tick off things as "done" on your to-do list.

Just_Stark

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Keith Ervin
WJHL/YouTube

Tennessee High Schooler Rips Into 'Cowards' On School Board For Not Firing Colleague Who Called Her 'Hot' In Scathing Takedown

A Tennessee community is in an uproar after a school board member has been allowed to keep his job after making an inappropriate comment to a high schooler.

Washington County high schooler Hannah Campbell delivered a scathing takedown of board member Keith Ervin, who called her "hot" during a public meeting in April.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump Claims The White House Was 'A Sh*t House' When He Moved Back In—And Everyone Had The Same Response

MAGA Republican President Donald Trump has made significant, controversial changes to the White House since he took up residence for his second term on January 20, 2025.

The renovations in just over one year include installing pavers to replace the grass in the Rose Garden, adding gold decor throughout the building and especially in the Oval Office, renovating the Lincoln bathroom to add marble and more gold fixtures, adding gold signs for White House features like it's one of Trump's resorts, hanging a plethora of massive portraits of himself in gaudy gold frames, and demolishing the entire East Wing of the building to erect a self-described monument to himself, an unpopular golden ballroom that will dwarf the rest of the building.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump Mobile phone; Screenshot of Trump supporter complaining about Trump Mobile
Joe Raedle/Getty Images; @codenamesteev/TikTok

MAGA Melts Down Hard After Learning They May Never Get Their 'Trump Mobile' Phones—Or Their Deposits Back

MAGA fans who signed up to get Trump Mobile T1 phones nearly a year ago are furious after learning there's no guarantee they'll ever get the phones they put down deposits for—and that these same deposits are now being described as merely a "conditional opportunity."

The Trump Mobile T1 phone was unveiled in June 2025 on the 10th anniversary of Trump’s original presidential campaign launch, marking the Trump brand’s debut in the mobile device and wireless service market. At the time, the company said the phone would be available in August.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
UChicago Institute of Politics/YouTube

People Are Applauding AOC's Refreshing Take On Her Political 'Ambition' After She Was Called Out As A 'Likely 2028 Presidential Candidate'

When asked about her future political ambitions during an appearance at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was notably candid, saying her "ambition is to change this country," as she ripped a Washington Post editorial that tried to knock her down a peg for her take on the morality of billionaires.

The progressive is not currently considered the frontrunner in early 2028 Democratic primary polling but some surveys suggest she has already emerged as a serious contender in what is expected to be a crowded field.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sir Rod Stewart and King Charles III; Donald Trump
Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Rod Stewart Just Gave Trump The Most Brutally Accurate New Nickname During Candid Conversation With King Charles

On Monday, King Charles III attended an event at Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the King's Trust—previously called the Prince's Trust—which the United Kingdom's reigning monarch founded in 1976 to support young people aged 11-30 facing challenges like unemployment, poverty, or lack of education.

In attendance that night was Sir Rod Stewart, who was knighted in 2016. Stewart and the King have met several times, and briefly chatted while King Charles greeted distinguished guests in the reception line.

Keep ReadingShow less