Page 182 - COVID-19: The Great Reset

this? Could we experience at our own individual level the
equivalent of what “just-in-time” supply chains will do in the post-

pandemic era – a suppression of time acceleration for the benefit
of greater resilience and peace of mind? Might the need to
become more psychologically resilient force us to slow down and
become more mindful of the passing time? Maybe. This could be

one of the unexpected upsides of COVID-19 and the lockdowns. It
made us more aware and sensitive about the great markers of
time: the precious moments spent with friends and our families,
the seasons and nature, the myriads of small things that require a

bit of time (like talking to a stranger, listening to a bird or admiring
a piece of art) but that contribute to well-being. The reset: in the
post-pandemic era, we might have a different appreciation of time,
pursuing it for greater happiness. [160]

3.3.3. Consumption

Ever since the pandemic took hold, many column inches and
analyses have been dedicated to the impact that COVID-19 will

have on our consumption patterns. A substantial number of them
state that in the post-pandemic era, we will become more
conscious of the consequences of our choices and habits and will
decide to repress some forms of consumption. At the other end of
the spectrum, a few analysts forecast “revenge consumption”,

taking the form of a surge in spending after the lockdowns end,
predicting a strong revival of our animal spirits and a return to the
situation that prevailed before the pandemic. Revenge

consumption hasn’t happened yet. Maybe it won’t happen at all if
a sentiment of self-restraint kicks in first.

The underlying argument supporting this hypothesis is the one
to which we referred in the chapter on the environmental reset:
the pandemic has acted as a dramatic eye-opener to the public at

large on the severity of the risks related to environmental
degradation and climate change.

Heightened awareness of and acute concerns about inequality,
combined with the realization that the threat of social unrest is

real, immediate and on our doorstep, might have the same effect.

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