The State of Humankind: The 7 Rediscovered Laws of Living Life After 2020

The pandemic hit the world like an unpredicted, category ten hurricane. The only difference? Hurricanes are short-lived. 

The world economy suffered at a scale no one could have imagined. The impact on the professional and personal lives of billions of people was and continues to be unfathomable. Amid all the carnage, humankind's mental strength and resilience suffered severe blows, grinding hope and spirit into meek submission, despite what we all believed to be phenomenal technological, scientific, and medical progress. 

In March-April, it shocked us as if someone instantly pulled the ground from below our feet. As time passed, we went through a violent roller-coaster ride of emotions, mostly negative: extreme fear, uncertainty, hopelessness, anger, disappointment, depression, sadness, frustration, and sheer blank minds at times. Mere survival, physical and monetary, was the only thing one could think of.

Slowly, that gave way to forming a different viewpoint of the world around us. We formed new belief systems within just a few months. 2020 was the year when I interacted with most people in a year than any other prior year. From these interactions with people across different countries, time zones, walks of life, professions, and ages, I could distinctly feel the common undercurrents of emerging thought patterns. Somehow, I strongly feel that the very "ways of living life," the "laws" of living life, if you will, seem to have undergone evolutionary effects of an entire era.

In no particular order of importance or significance, let me share my key observations about the State of Humankind:

1. Life versus Death

Death. It is the only truth for every living being. Human sensory powers of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch do not allow us to fathom time. One cannot predict/sense the "time-to-death." The pandemic scared (I believe) a majority of human beings that there may not be enough time left in their lives. That feeling changes everything. That changes the way we perceive and think about life. The words "life" and "living," all of a sudden, have different meanings. This very survival/existence driven shock seems to have made many of us think of "life" in altogether different ways.

“Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. - STEVE JOBS

The law of consciously living in the present: I believe humankind will cherish more the moment they live in rather than be upset about the past or worried about the future.

2. Profound versus Trivial

I believe humans now have more clarity about what is profound in their lives; and what is trivial. In the face of the uncertainty related to very core life and death, the "value" we associate with several things and thoughts has undergone a seismic shift.

Suddenly, we are left wondering why did we give so much importance to trivial things in life. It is as if our brain uses a totally different "filter" / different measurements to analyze the (real) value of everything in life.

The law of picking what really matters: I believe the conflicts between humans, mostly over trivial things, should reduce significantly.

3. Experiences versus Possessions

Lockdown. Very rarely was this word used in day to day lives. It became common, so common that it lost its sensitivity. But lockdown suddenly made us recognize the value, and the pleasures, of our freedom that we never noticed before. Freedom, like oxygen, can be felt only when it decreases.

Freedom allows us to experience the fulfillment of our wants, even if it meant just going out for post-dinner ice cream. "Experiences" of life's even the most mundane practices suddenly became so scarce, and hence so precious. On the other hand, the "possessions" we all tend to keep collecting seemed to have lost their relevance.

The law of doing justice to the fortune of being born as humans: I believe when freedom returns, we will seek and strive to enjoy and cherish our experiences.

4. Content versus Content

The difference between "having" some content (in the sense of our worldly assets, akin to how the world on the internet is driven by the "content" of websites, social media, videos, blogs, articles, etc.) versus (being) "content" (in the sense of inner feeling of fulfillment/ satisfaction) is as clear as a sunny summer day.

The law of being driven by a fulfilled soul: I believe the impact of our worldly content (assets/possessions) will reduce on how "contented" we are in our lives. Instead, utilizing our content for a larger cause will lead us to be more contented in life.

5. Compassion versus Ego

Did you notice, distinctly, that in 2020 when people spoke with you, they used the word "you" more than "I"? Those who I thought had inflated egos all their lives called in. The compassion in their voice and words was genuine. "Kindness" seemed to have become more common.

The law of kindness: I believe egos gave way to more compassion in human relationships. I believe the trend will continue.

6. Control versus Chaos

Before the pandemic, we did not even notice we had so much control over what we do in our lives. Pandemic threw the world into unimaginable chaos. Each passing week, more and more information about the virus first increased the chaos, but it also resulted in lesser chaos in our minds about how to deal with the chaotic world.

The law of life-flow: I believe we learned a way to detangle the chaotic thoughts in our minds, and this experience will help us deal better with our day-to-day complexities. We will learn to make the best of how our life flows.

7. Happy versus Everything Else

A little over a year ago, before the COVID news broke out, I had started answering "I'm happy", whenever anyone asked my "how ya' doin'?". The reactions to this "unexpected" answer from me were genuinely fascinating.

I did not foresee that people will soon have an intense craving just to be able to say, "I'm happy." I believe "happiness" is the ultimate goal of everything people do in their lives. Everything else is essentially immaterial. Happiness can only be "felt," not sensed through the five human senses. Before the pandemic, we were not adequately attentive to recognizing happiness in mundane things and life experiences. 

The law of continuous happiness: Now, I believe we are more in tune with sensing our happiness, no matter how small.

How much time will it take this time to repeat history?

History is witness to humankind's several "come-backs" from the destructive depths of natural calamities, wars, recessions, and even pandemics. Resilience, resolve, human-ingenuity, inventive-innovative capabilities of people, visionary leaders; all combine to bring the world back to its usual hustle and bustle. How much time will it take this time to repeat history?

Whenever we all return to the "normal," if we can manage to stick to the new laws of life, the world will be a better place to live.

Did you experience distinct changes in people's outlook to life in your personal and professional networks? Please share your experiences in the comments below.

My best wishes for a better 2021, and a better world!