Still.......could be worse. (Jeremy Clarkson)

If you guys across the pond would like to see what mindless adaptation looks like, come to my country. The Netherlands.

So, right at the start of this COVID thing (we Dutchies call it Corona Crisis which sounds less severe than COVID I suppose, dunno) there was a sense of a collective vacation where people would stay home, come together (imagine that), go out on the streets in masses (to witness the Apocalypse I guess) and fill their shopping carts with toilet paper. TP is STILL in short supply at supermarkets.
NOTE: In my country there was never an atmosphere of fear though. There still isn't. I must admit though that more people are starting to personally know someone who actually contracted COVID including myself.

The last couple of months something has changed. People are blindly accepting the governments 'guidelines' of mask wearing (which from December on will be MANDATORY to wear in ALL public spaces), social distancing (well sort of) and working from home (only 1% of the workforce is actually doing that, government workers mostly) and stay indoors as much as possible (a concept quickly dropped as soon as the weekend starts).

Masks in all sorts and sizes are on the shelves of supermarkets. People are wearing them (old and young) all the time: In cars, on bicycles, while jogging (I kid you not!), while shopping, while walking the dog.......
Even young kids as young as ,say, 10 years old are wearing masks will "cool designs" to look cool or 'gangster' as one told me after asking why the hell he was wearing one of those.

The new normal has been accepted at large without a fight or way word in exchange of ALL characteristics which makes up OUR (national) society.

Just like that, seemingly over night.