This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantham.

Re-entering society, how to and why for?

After many months of COVID restrictions,

resuming something like our pre-pandemic lives

can feel daunting to many people.

Late Night TV has picked up on this.

Stephen Colbert recently ran this spoof educational video.

So you spent a year in isolation, then got jabbed in the arm by a stranger.

Congratulations!

It's the first step in re-entering society.

But before you head back out into the world, you need to remember what it's like to be around what scientists call other people.

Maybe you'll find yourself wondering what your friends think of you.

Do they still think you're witty? Are they bored by your small talk? Do you even remember how to make small talk?

Have I always been awkward in social settings?

Maybe I never enjoyed others that much to begin with?

Oh God, do I look awkward? I feel awkward. Can they tell I'm thinking this?

Do I even have a real personality? Or am I just a construct of all the media I've consumed in complete isolation?

What were things even like before this?

Because remember, the people around you might feel the same way.

It turns out other people do feel the same way.

And often in those moments when we're worrying about them judging us,

they're worrying about us judging them.

...