I don't care what the others are doing per se. In fact, I think it's optimal if everyone else would wear a mask all the time. What bothers me is that the sort

I don't care what the others are doing per se. In fact, I think it's optimal if everyone else would wear a mask all the time. What bothers me is that the sort of inconsistency I described is emblematic of the same muddled thinking that the CDC has demonstrated throughout. This is a problem for a number of reasons. When people don't understand the reasoning behind a policy they are less likely to comply with it and it will lead to excess deaths. Another reason is that, if no explanation or an incoherent explanation is given for a recommendation, people have to decide whether to follow it based solely on trust or the authority of the recommender. I don't think either of these is good for the long term health of society. You can see how this problem has manifested itself in the resistance of many people to being vaccinated or wearing masks.