Ask HN: Looking Back, What Were the Best Unexpected Surprises of 2020? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Looking Back, What Were the Best Unexpected Surprises of 2020?

6 pointsekianjo10 comments

Is there anything this year you did not expect and that ended up being a much bigger deal than you could have thought? (in a good way, not talking about COVID19 here)

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Not such a big deal and something rather subjective: Due to Covid, my university started to upload recordings of all of my courses. This has been a godsend for me, as I did not attend lectures previously and now have the chance to watch them only when needed.

Also, where before I often had to go to campus for 1.5hrs, which often meant sitting in train for equally long. Now, I can watch stuff from home and don't have to waste time travelling.

Everyone said working from home is impossible, but it's been the best part of 2020. I dont see myself going back to the office (fulltime) ever.

Far less FOMO:

Way more content to hang out at home around a fire pit or do stuff around the house all weekend. Much less worry I’m missing X big event/trip/restaurant all my friends are going to.

Basically much less paradox of choice

The election resulted in far less violence in the streets than I expected.

Not to burst your bubble, but assuming you mean USA, it's not over yet. There's still a sizeable portion of people who honestly believe Trump won. I don't look forward to the next few weeks.

I know it. And yet I wasn't looking forward to the last few weeks, and they were mostly benign.

I don't think there will be any kind of meaningful violence either way. Nobody wants a civil war.

I think that there are people on at least one side, maybe both, who actually do want a literal civil war. I presume you don't actually mean nobody nobody, just "close enough" to nobody. And I sure hope you're right, but I fear that you many not be.

I'll also add my vote for wfh.

Everything is better at home. Home gym, home office, better mattress, etc.

I never realized just how much better it was until I tried it and now I don't ever want to go back.

Me, my spouse and my kids have taken zero sick days since March. Not even sniffles.

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