Why are people so obsessed with going out during a pandemic?

[shockey80]

I don't get it. Why can't people stay at home and enjoy themselves. We have everything we need at home. You can barbecue at home. You can order food from your favorite restaurant. You don't have to go out to eat. You can drink at home. You don't have to go to a bar. Many people have pools. Do you have to go to the beach? My brother has a pool, I can go there and swim if I want to. I don't have to go to a beach.

The only way I can explain this behavior is with these two words. Spoiled and selfish.

[stopbush]

1. Add impatient to the list.

[shockey80]

5. Exactly, this is not permanent.

This pandemic has just started and people are like, I can't do this. I can't stay home. I can't bother to protect myself if I go out. There are many things we can still do when we leave are homes. We are not prisoners.

[Peregrine Took]

2. Agreed, especially as we are older and have health issues but I feel I am missing

something if we don't go out everyday just to see what is going on, what others are doing, etc. otherwise I feel too isolated and we will wind up like one of those people who come out of the jungle 50 years after WWII is over and find a whole different world has grown up around us.

[rownesheck]

3. There are people

who just HAVE to be out and about in public. It's as if their lives are so hollow they need to feed off the "energy" of groups of people in order to feel good about themselves. This is just my opinion. I'm someone who hates large gatherings and can easily entertain myself at home, so maybe I'm biased.

[Liberty Dog]

4. Mental Health

For me, it is quite simple. I had a depressive episode quit my job and spent 6 months self isolating in my apartment. This ended with me sitting on my couch with a gun to my head and then 3 days in the hospital and 7 days in a treatment facility.

This ended in January. I was just getting back to feeling a semblance of normalcy when this happened. The last thing I want to do is to continue sitting in my fucking house.

[shockey80]

6. You don't have to sit in your house.

There are things we can do outside our homes that are safe.

[Ace Rothstein]

11. Yeah, we let our 9 year old go for a bike ride with a friend last weekend.

She has been having a very difficult time lately with this. Seeing her friend rrally helped.

[Tipperary]

17. Go out for walks, runs, bike rides!

I take my dogs out twice a day at least on one hour walks. Enjoy nature, look at the birds, enjoy the springtime!

[stopdiggin]

18. Yeah. Best answer. Human beings are naturally social creatures

We're geared to care, and share, and interact, and talk (a LOT). In some ways it kind of defines us. I think a lot of people either don't realize (or are trying to minimize) the toll that this is exacting on some of us. (and, true, some are probably breezing right on through it) But there are definitely people that are struggling, and we'd do well to recognize it.

In my case, my social interactions have become very few (and I'm dealing with that reasonably well) .. but I make a point of getting out, for at least a couple hours, every day. Getting more "exercise" than this old dog has seen in years!

[AnotherMother4Peace]

27. Please be cognizant of those around you, their need for safety, & our heroic health care providers.

Please wear a mask and maintain social distance. Covid-19 is aerosolized through talking & exhalation and will be a death sentence to so many people. And for others C-19 will be debilitating.

It is irresponsible to put other people and their families at risk, many of whom are classified as essential workers (many of whom do not make a lot of money and are very dependent on that paycheck).

[Runningdawg]

7. Spite and immaturity. You tell someone they can't do something, they become obsessed with doing it.

[Brainfodder]

8. Selfish jerks is the cleanest answer I can give?

[jimfields33]

9. Locked in a home for two months make people restless

I understand that some of us are privileged and live in two thousand square homes or larger but can you imagine being in a 250 square foot studio? That’d be hell!!!! It’s hard to put ourselves in these situations. They should go out safely.

[obamanut2012]

20. My sister lives in a 2400 sft townhome

Three stories, a two-car garage, and a decent little private backyard. She has plenty of room to roam and change her scenery and stimulus. I live two towns over in a 600-sft apartment with a cat, no yard. I walk sooo much, take so many bike rides, and am lucky enough to still have a job.

But, I am losing my damned mind, even with puttering around with my 3D printer, talking with friends a lot, etc. I've been doing this since March 18.

I cannot imagine how folks living alone with no friends, and with mental health issues so much worse than my mild depression are faring.

There is a delicate balance sometimes between staying physically health and mental healthy, and people painting all these folks as spiteful and malicious are just as spiteful and malicious. For SOME of these people, going out and sitting on the beach may be saving their lives in a different way.

[jimfields33]

29. Totally agree with everything you said

Sometimes I shake my head at some of the high and mighty that “tisk-tisk” people for having some pleasure. I wonder if they are the ones who really don’t follow the rules. Lol.

[stopdiggin]

22. Yep.

"Ordering in" and swimming pools are not always available ...
A little understanding (and allowance) would be good.

[smirkymonkey]

31. I'm in a 625 sq ft. studio in an apartment building.

It helps that I have a 3rd floor balcony overlooking a pretty courtyard, which is like a little park with trees, flowers and the occasional bunny rabbit hopping around. I leave my door open most of the day to get some fresh air and can hear the birds chirp. Even though I live right in the middle of a city, it's generally pretty quiet.

So far, I haven't really had a hard time with this and I have been home since March 16th, with one early trip to a grocery store and since then only gone down to the lobby to pick up grocery deliveries, packages and mail. Then again, I am pretty introverted and phone calls and the internet are pretty much enough to keep me connected. I wfh during the day during the week and am in online meetings off and on, which are more than enough for me.

To be perfectly honest, I'm kind of enjoying this. I don't think I could do it forever, but for now it's fine.

[KentuckyWoman]

10. The power of NO.

Take a food your toddler doesn't like. Tell them no, and let them see you put it in the cabinet over the fridge. Next thing you know that kid has muscled a chair to the counter and figured out how to climb on top the fridge.

[C_U_L8R]

12. They think they are triggering libs.

What dumb fucks.

[uponit7771]

13. Cause 25% of America is still 78 million people, that's a whole Germany

[AnotherMother4Peace]

14. Bots are flooding social media w/targeted false messages (compelling, angry, hoax) to

get their targeted audience to jump on board the anti-stay-at-home bandwagon. These are trump's "keyboard warriors". Putin is pleased.

[napi21]

15. I think it' simpler than that. It's human nature to want what you don't have. Remember when you

were little & mon said: Don't touch that!" or "No you can't go outside." What did you instantly want to do? Exactly what you were told you cant!

Unfortunately, we never grow out of that reaction.

[ecstatic]

24. +1000. nt

[NightWatcher]

16. They want to be served by other people.

[LisaL]

19. Humans are social creatures.

And not everyone has everything they need at home.

[obamanut2012]

21. this exactly

I said it much longer up thread, but yes. For some folks, going to the beach or getting a haircut may literally save their life.

[FirstLight]

23. My 18 yr old daughter said it perfectly yesterday:

"How much do you hate your family that you can't stay home?"

Tahoe opened it up this weekend and everyone and their freaking mother are out and NOT doing a damn bit of ANY safety measures...

So the servers at the restaurants have to be masked and gloved, but the patrons don't?

Talk about cognitive dissonance

[LisaL]

25. Your daughter is very mature.

My guess is having to stay at home is especially hard for people around her age, as they are used to be in groups of people their age. They also don't usually like to spend a lot of time with their parents.

[FirstLight]

26. She is! Graduated a year early and actually lives on her own already...

We have been quarantining apart together cuz she lives across town. She has a roommate but I am their "uber" since I dont want her out on public transportation...

At least her age group has social media, they dont seem to miss eachother too much

[jmg257]

28. You forgot stupid...I never knew so many people were so weak.

Admittedly I have it nice - lots of property in the country.
But all the whining has me baffled.

[kairos12]

30. Because they have been told they can't. Toddler mentality.

[MissB]

33. People are used to being entertained

Whether it’s shopping alone or with friends, going to a restaurant, movie or outdoor event- folks just need constant stimulation.

People have forgotten how to just...be.

Also, not everyone has a house with a yard. Some folks are just plain cooped up.

I have a house in a half acre. I have so much to do that I don’t need to look for things to keep me busy or entertained. It’s relaxing to sit on my and just do nothing.

I go out once or twice a week for a non-contact pickup of groceries or other supplies (pet, garden). I’m also damned lucky that I live where I do. There’s a quiet state park with walking trails not a half mile from where I live. I can go there anytime. I’m close to a private college with expansive grounds that has no students on it. Anywhere I wander outside, there’s no one.