What I learnt from the year that passed by

Akshay Balakrishnan
6 min readDec 25, 2020

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Source: Forbes

2020. If you went back a few years in time, that word would remind you of cashew butter cookies, or the renowned cricket format, or if you are a Malayali, the film which tried to cram in all the relevant film actors of that era with some questionable scenes mixed into it (don’t remind me, I haven’t watched it in years).

But from this point onwards, people would look back at this year and mark it as the point where it all went wrong (or if you are a half-glass full guy, an unfortunate aberration). 2020 will be known as the year of the virus, or rather specifically, the SARS-COV-2. From it’s humble beginnings at some point last year, it exploded and took the world by storm. People almost forget that ‘World War III’ and the bushfires down south in Australia were also part of this year too.

Source: IsoGlobal

It is amazing to think about how something that exists in the microscopic world shut down an entire planet and brought mankind to it’s knees. People who went out every other night and went on trips had to ‘endure’ the troubles of staying put at home and I didn’t have to put up with people spamming online about their latest travel escapades….till of course they eventually returned to their old ways.

But I can’t blame them for that, for different things give us joy and a sense of meaning. It must have been hard to lose that source of joy and distract our minds from the terrible realities of life. Some of these we face directly, some which we might not experience but cannot deny it’s effect on others who have to endure the same.

This year also highlighted the importance of the healthcare industry and why we need to support our doctors and nurses. We also saw the rise of conspiracy theorists who disregard all basic conventions and live in their own world. Skepticism is one thing, outright misinformation mixed with baseless speculation is something we need to reject. We also saw work and studies move to our homes, with mixed effects. On one hand, we saw that more people can work from home if needed. On the other, we saw how the education system has a lot of gaps to fill in providing students a fighting chance in today’s world, and how scammy products try to fill in that gap (coughs in Wh*teHa*tJr)

Till the pandemic started, I had been living life in a fast-paced manner. I couldn’t really stop and think of anything because everything just happened so fast. Fortunately, I achieved a lot of my goals I had aspired to at the start of my college, and had fun along the way (for the most part). Yet, when the lockdown started, I realized this was a break that I needed, for I hadn’t got the time to stop and think about what I wanted from myself. Time was abundant all of a sudden, and I could use this time to stay safe and take a real break for the first time since I gave my JEE Advanced Exam and ended a difficult phase of my personal life.

Source: Industryweek

Another thing I feel like I learnt more of this year was compassion. With protests across the world happening for various causes, ranging from systemic racism across the globe, to farmers standing up for their rights in our country, 2020 was not short of people raising their voices for the causes they strongly believe in. And social media gives them the platform to do the same, giving people new insights that you might not see in the traditional news cycle.

Yet, despite all this, social media has this problem where echo chambers slide people down this rabbit hole to intolerance. For earlier, it was easier to disagree on certain things, but now it’s this us vs them mentality that has spread across society. People who are difficult to engage with and exist for the sole purpose of propagating their misinformation get more attention. And with more people stuck on the Internet in absence of real world interaction, they get sucked into this toxic environment, engaging in a manner which leaves you tired and makes you wonder if humanity is a positive trait to begin with.

I try to disengage myself from this as far as possible, knowing that it is very difficult to change minds online (especially those with malicious intents) and for my own mental health. While others may choose to continue engaging with said content, do not let it go to you and take your breaks if necessary, for you need to take care of yourself. Social media is a distorted version of reality, do not let that mess with your head.

Source: IAS4Sure

Which brings to another theme that dominated 2020- mental health. It gained prominence over here after the suicide of a famous actor, which of course was forgotten immediately after that turned into a ‘whodunit’ murder mystery and led to online ‘cancellation’ of Bollywood. But worldwide, there was a recognition of why we need to take care of ourselves, and realize there is more to this than just saying ‘Don’t be sad, be happy’.

It is indeed complicated, and seeking help should not be met with derision or the stigma that usually has come with. Let’s try to be nicer in this world which is increasingly becoming vile, and do not make professional mistakes as an excuse for personal abuse (looking at you, Arsenal fans).

On a more personal note, everything that has happened this year, makes me appreciate those who take the initiative to maintain relationships and friendships. It is easy to drift apart. And most often, it is inevitable. But in my personal opinion, if there is someone who means something to you, you should try and reach out to them. People who you haven’t been in touch with for a while. See what is up with them.

Maybe they have changed to the point you don’t know them anymore or they don’t see you the way they see them. Maybe this would be a revival point in your relationship with said person. It’s just a chance you have to take. But don’t shy away from that, for you never know the other side of the story and until you do, you are just blindly speculating on what the other person is doing/ why they aren’t in touch.

So…these are the things I took away from the year that passed by. I wish everyone a great 2021 and we shall overcome everything no matter what is being thrown at us. Let me know what you took away from the year ahead, and share this if you enjoyed it!

(Disclaimer: Views are personal and this is not meant to be taken as advice. My personal view is advice given by people doesn’t always take into context what happens in other people’s lives and we cannot just copy paste things from one’s lives and perfectly apply it to others)

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