Okay, I realize I am a *little* strident in my disdain for the COVID dumpster fire paranoia. (Trust me, my disdain is well-documented!) However, even at that, I remain baffled about the "stickiness" of masking. They do not do anything beneficial. And when I say that, I mean actually, measurably, NOTHING positive. They are a symbol, at be…
Okay, I realize I am a *little* strident in my disdain for the COVID dumpster fire paranoia. (Trust me, my disdain is well-documented!) However, even at that, I remain baffled about the "stickiness" of masking. They do not do anything beneficial. And when I say that, I mean actually, measurably, NOTHING positive. They are a symbol, at best, in operating rooms. The science for their widespread use against a respiratory virus is on the order of justification for not listing the number "13" on an elevator keypad. Why the flying hells bells are people still so tied to them? I seriously do not get it. Even as an engineer, and admitting that it took me longer than it should have--probably weeks, in fact--to reach this conclusion, how are people still clueless after this long?
Masks do something VERY beneficial -- just not the thing being claimed.
Don't think about masks like an engineer, but like a psychologist. Masks reduce anxiety. They're a magic talisman to keep the demons away, a rain dance to end the drought, but with enough cargo-cult science vibes to be superficially convincing to secular moderns.
Mask also enable cheap status-seeking: with masks, they're very smart people following the science, and heroes protecting the community, and they get to sneer at their "selfish" inferiors, all without having to make any real effort or sacrifice. (Since masks have become a "blue" tribal marker, there's an assertion of group superiority as well.) And frankly, a lot of mask fanatics don't seem to have much else they can leverage for social status.
When we point out that masks don't actually work -- including tacitly, by not wearing them ourselves -- we're taking that away from them. You can see why that would be upsetting to them. How to break that spell, I don't know: the more you show it's true, the more upsetting it is, and the more fanatically it must be rejected.
Still, challenging them may at least stop others from falling under it. And challenging them annoys them, which is all to the good.
I find it ridiculously ironic - they wear them to feel less anxious, but in wearing them actually stresses the body, making them feel more anxious🤔😐🤦♀️
Quite so -- as with anxiety disorders and OCD, the things people do to "protect" themselves are often harmful in the long run. But they provide relief for the moment, and that can be very powerful motivation to do (and believe) things.
Difference is that we normally recognize that as pathology and encourage people to overcome it -- rather than treating it as The Science and making everyone else play along.
For the elite, it's also an easy spot check of the general sentiment of the public and their willingness to comply, and it probably gives them a good chuckle.
Okay, I realize I am a *little* strident in my disdain for the COVID dumpster fire paranoia. (Trust me, my disdain is well-documented!) However, even at that, I remain baffled about the "stickiness" of masking. They do not do anything beneficial. And when I say that, I mean actually, measurably, NOTHING positive. They are a symbol, at best, in operating rooms. The science for their widespread use against a respiratory virus is on the order of justification for not listing the number "13" on an elevator keypad. Why the flying hells bells are people still so tied to them? I seriously do not get it. Even as an engineer, and admitting that it took me longer than it should have--probably weeks, in fact--to reach this conclusion, how are people still clueless after this long?
Masks do something VERY beneficial -- just not the thing being claimed.
Don't think about masks like an engineer, but like a psychologist. Masks reduce anxiety. They're a magic talisman to keep the demons away, a rain dance to end the drought, but with enough cargo-cult science vibes to be superficially convincing to secular moderns.
Mask also enable cheap status-seeking: with masks, they're very smart people following the science, and heroes protecting the community, and they get to sneer at their "selfish" inferiors, all without having to make any real effort or sacrifice. (Since masks have become a "blue" tribal marker, there's an assertion of group superiority as well.) And frankly, a lot of mask fanatics don't seem to have much else they can leverage for social status.
When we point out that masks don't actually work -- including tacitly, by not wearing them ourselves -- we're taking that away from them. You can see why that would be upsetting to them. How to break that spell, I don't know: the more you show it's true, the more upsetting it is, and the more fanatically it must be rejected.
Still, challenging them may at least stop others from falling under it. And challenging them annoys them, which is all to the good.
I find it ridiculously ironic - they wear them to feel less anxious, but in wearing them actually stresses the body, making them feel more anxious🤔😐🤦♀️
Quite so -- as with anxiety disorders and OCD, the things people do to "protect" themselves are often harmful in the long run. But they provide relief for the moment, and that can be very powerful motivation to do (and believe) things.
Difference is that we normally recognize that as pathology and encourage people to overcome it -- rather than treating it as The Science and making everyone else play along.
For some it's a virtue signal, for the rest it's just humiliating and dehumanizing. https://www.algora.com/Algora_blog/2021/10/24/its-the-mask-of-your-enslavement
For the elite, it's also an easy spot check of the general sentiment of the public and their willingness to comply, and it probably gives them a good chuckle.
Awesome! #PreachingToTheChoir
People honestly and truly believe masks keep them safe. They believe it's a fact and nothing will change their minds
What is the scientific justification for wearing shirts at restaurants? People want it, and who can argue with fashion?
You're comparing a mask to a shirt? Idiot confirmed ✅