Look back at your calendar. Find the year 2021. What does it conjure? For many, it’s a blur of masks, Zoom screens, and a hesitant, stumbling re-entry into a world that had fundamentally shifted. It wasn’t the dramatic rupture of 2020, nor was it the full-throated roar of recovery some had hoped for. Instead, 2021 was something else entirely: a year of profound and often unsettling encounters.
We didn’t just encounter new variants or new policies. We encountered new versions of our lives, our relationships, our work, and most importantly, we had a final, unavoidable encounter with ourselves.
The Great Re-Encounter with the World
After the isolation of 2020, every step outside in 2021 was loaded with meaning. A simple coffee with a friend wasn’t just a coffee; it was an encounter laden with unspoken questions. Do we hug? Do we sit inside? Is it safe?
These weren’t just logistical hurdles; they were emotional and ethical negotiations. We re-encountered the physical world with a newfound sense of fragility and value. The smell of rain on pavement, the crush of a crowd at a (finally reopened) concert, the simple act of sharing a meal without a partition—these mundane experiences were suddenly profound. We encountered the world not as a given, but as a gift we had taken for granted. The texture of life became sharper, more vivid, because we had been forced to live without it.
This re-encounter was also deeply awkward. Social muscles had atrophied. The rhythm of small talk felt foreign. We had become accustomed to the curated squares of our digital lives, and re-entering the messy, unpredictable, three-dimensional world was a jarring experience. 2021 was the year we collectively remembered how to be together, and the process was as clumsy as it was beautiful.
The Unavoidable Encounter with the Self
While the external encounters were significant, the most defining encounter of 2021 was internal. When the noise of the world—the commute, the busy offices, the constant social engagements—faded away, we were left in a quiet room with one person: ourselves. And for many, that was the most challenging encounter of all.
Without the distractions of “normal” life, we were forced to confront fundamental questions:
- Who am I without my busyness? When your job title, social calendar, and daily routines are stripped back or radically altered, what remains at your core?
- What do I truly value? The pandemic acted as a great filter, separating what was essential from what was superfluous. People encountered a deep desire for more meaningful work, for stronger family bonds, for a life aligned with purpose, not just a paycheck.
- What is my capacity for resilience? We encountered our own breaking points, but also our own surprising strength. We found patience we didn’t know we had, creativity in the face of limitation, and a grit that carried us through endless uncertainty.
This internal encounter wasn’t always pleasant. It brought to the surface anxieties, unresolved issues, and a deep-seated restlessness. The “great resignation” wasn’t just an economic trend; it was a mass existential awakening. Millions of people encountered the fact that they were deeply unhappy with their professional lives and decided, often courageously, to change course. This was a direct result of that forced introspection.
The Digital Encounter: From Tool to Habitat
In 2021, our encounter with technology ceased to be transactional and became existential. Zoom wasn’t just an app; it was our office, our classroom, our wedding venue, and our funeral parlor. The digital space was no longer a separate realm we logged into; it was the very substrate of our social and professional lives.
This created a new kind of intimacy and a new kind of alienation. We encountered our colleagues’ homes, their pets, their children interrupting meetings. We saw a more “human” side of people we had only known in a formal context. Yet, this hyper-connection was also deeply draining. The “Zoom fatigue” was real—a product of the cognitive strain of communicating through a screen, without the subtle cues of body language and the shared energy of a physical room.
Our encounter with digital life in 2021 was a double-edged sword. It kept us connected, but it also taught us the irreplaceable value of physical presence. It forced us to ask: What is lost when our primary mode of encounter is mediated by a screen?
Encountering a New Social Fabric
The events of 2020 spilled over into 2021, forcing a collective encounter with long-ignored social truths. We encountered the stark realities of systemic inequality, not as abstract concepts, but as disparities in health outcomes, job security, and access to education. The Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice efforts compelled a global conversation, an encounter with uncomfortable history and present-day injustice.
This was a year of difficult dialogues. Families encountered political and ideological rifts that felt wider than ever. Friendships were tested. We were forced to define our values not in the abstract, but in conversation with those who held different views. It was messy, painful, and often unproductive. But it was also necessary. It was an encounter with the complex, fractured, and diverse nature of our communities.
This reckoning asked us to re-evaluate our role within the social fabric. Were we passive residents or active citizens? The encounter with these large-scale issues pushed many from apathy into action, whether through volunteering, educating themselves, or simply learning to listen more deeply.
The Lingering Legacy of the 2021 Encounter
So, what do we do with this legacy of encounter? As we move further into the 2020s, the lessons of 2021 are not meant to be left in the past. They are a blueprint for a more intentional future.
- Carry Forward the Value of Presence. We learned that time with loved ones is not infinite and that a handshake or a hug carries immense power. Let’s not re-forget this. Let’s continue to prioritize real, in-person connection.
- Maintain the Dialogue with Yourself. The habit of self-inquiry, born from necessity, is one of the healthiest things we can cultivate. Continue to ask yourself the hard questions about purpose, joy, and fulfillment. Don’t let the noise of the world drown out that inner voice again.
- Use Technology Intentionally. We now understand the pros and cons of our digital tools. Let’s use them with purpose—to enhance our lives, not to replace them. Set boundaries. Log off. Remember that a life lived mostly through a screen is a life half-lived.
- Embrace the Awkward, Beautiful Mess of Re-connection. The social world is still recalibrating. Be patient with others and with yourself. The awkwardness of re-encountering each other is a small price to pay for the richness of shared experience.
Encounter 2021 was not a year with a simple narrative. It was a year of paradox—of connection and isolation, of breakdown and breakthrough, of profound loss and unexpected gain. It was the year we were forced to stop, look around, and look within. We encountered a world remade and, in the process, we encountered remade versions of ourselves.
