A majority of Americans in a survey said the pandemic changed their personalities.
They said they felt more conscientious, more open, more empathetic, and smarter.
But psychologists are skeptical about how much that will persist once life goes back to normal.
To say that Evan Shearin is emerging from the pandemic a kinder, gentler, more open-minded, and smarter version of himself may be an exaggeration. But it s not off base.
Without a commute, Shearin, an Indianapolis software consultant in his late 30s, had more time for learning new things. He taught himself how to cook, took online guitar lessons, got professional certifications, and tried his hand at planting an herb garden.