[Question] Pre-Hindsight Prompt: Why did 2021 NOT bring a return to normalcy?

Feel free to modify the prompt into something like “why was 2021 even worse/​more intense than 2020”. Also go ahead and substitute 2022, if you think “the direct effects of the pandemic continue into 2021 for a while” is too boring of an answer.

Pre-hindsight rules/​guidelines:

  1. Both vague and specific answers are welcome.

  2. If you answer a modified version of the question, please state this clearly. Don’t leave people to infer it from your answer.

  3. If you just want to defend the thesis that 2021 will in fact be a return to normalcy...then this is not the post for you.

  4. Address the prompt, try to give more than 140 characters, don’t be annoying, etc. (This is sort a generalization of #3)

Motivation:

- Various comments on social media about how 2020 was a dumpster fire—with the apparent implication that 2021 will be normal-ish.

- Misremembering this tweet in which EY says, “I’m predicting that 2019 will be a relatively normal and boring year.”

- The New Year’s Wariness that was burned into my mind by this comic: