3 ms·

This is exactly what the guidance should have been about, right from the start. Basically, if you are in a vulnerable group, wear a mask around others. Make it

This is exactly what the guidance should have been about, right from the start. Basically, if you are in a vulnerable group, wear a mask around others. Make it a good mask. Fit it well. Especially if the group is known to be 'risky' or large. And for those extremely vulnerable groups, wear a mask around them as a courtesy. But it got warped into 'wear a mask around everyone at all times'. And that just didn't make sense to a lot of people.

leptons 2y ago
>'wear a mask around everyone at all times'. That was never the message. Inside your own home with your own family? No, nobody suggested that anyone must wear a mask in that situation. Out in public, indoors, during high transmission times? Yes, absolutely wear a mask in that situation, every single time. This is common sense stuff, but people fail at common sense quite often these days.
- dent9876543 2y ago
  But isn’t it also common sense that, if it’s already in high transmission then you wearing your mask isn’t going to budge the dial. Thing is, at those times, responsibility needs to shift back to the individual to take care of themselves. Most people judged they didn’t need substantial protection (else they’d have worn better masks, well fitted, always). We sometimes look at human behaviour and find it superficially irrational. But this is an example where rationality simply doesn’t conform to what some would wish it to. It’s still rational. And I would also argue it is common sense.
  - leptons 2y ago
    >But isn’t it also common sense that, if it’s already in high transmission then you wearing your mask isn’t going to budge the dial. No, that isn't common sense at all. It's the opposite of common sense. Yes, you, yourself wearing a mask "budges the dial" ever so slightly. And the people in the house next to you wearing masks when appropriate also "budge the dial" just a tiny bit more. And thousands of others that wear masks "budge the dial" - well that dial is now spinning. That's how these things work. It's a group effort. But if the group is filled with morons that "think for themselves" (aka selfish assholes) then the dial will grind slower, because everyone's in it for themselves and don't believe that their actions have any effect on anyone else, which is pretty dumb. >Thing is, at those times, responsibility needs to shift back to the individual to take care of themselves. Yes, take care of your self. Wear the mask. Don't get sick so that you can't pass the sickness on to others. It's really that simple. >Most people judged they didn’t need substantial protection Think about the most average person you know. Half the people in the world are dumber than that. Most people are fucking stupid. There's nothing rational about not wearing a mask in high risk situation during a global pandemic.
    - dent9876543 2y ago
      > […] if the group is filled with morons that "think for themselves" (aka selfish assholes) then the dial will grind slower […] That’s basically my point. The group is already behaving as you describe. (Else transmission wouldn’t be high already.) It’s OK to bemoan it. But it’s not reasonable to expect people to behave in a way that ignores reality on the ground. > Most people are fucking stupid. No, I don’t believe that. I can get on board with a criticism that many behaviours are automatic, and we are not always making conscious decisions. But in general, people are not stupid. > There's nothing rational about not wearing a mask in high risk situation […] It can readily be rationalised, but on the basis that it’s not actually a high risk situation.

leptons 2y ago

>'wear a mask around everyone at all times'. That was never the message. Inside your own home with your own family? No, nobody suggested that anyone must wear a mask in that situation. Out in public, indoors, during high transmission times? Yes, absolutely wear a mask in that situation, every single time. This is common sense stuff, but people fail at common sense quite often these days.

dent9876543 2y ago
But isn’t it also common sense that, if it’s already in high transmission then you wearing your mask isn’t going to budge the dial. Thing is, at those times, responsibility needs to shift back to the individual to take care of themselves. Most people judged they didn’t need substantial protection (else they’d have worn better masks, well fitted, always). We sometimes look at human behaviour and find it superficially irrational. But this is an example where rationality simply doesn’t conform to what some would wish it to. It’s still rational. And I would also argue it is common sense.
- leptons 2y ago
  >But isn’t it also common sense that, if it’s already in high transmission then you wearing your mask isn’t going to budge the dial. No, that isn't common sense at all. It's the opposite of common sense. Yes, you, yourself wearing a mask "budges the dial" ever so slightly. And the people in the house next to you wearing masks when appropriate also "budge the dial" just a tiny bit more. And thousands of others that wear masks "budge the dial" - well that dial is now spinning. That's how these things work. It's a group effort. But if the group is filled with morons that "think for themselves" (aka selfish assholes) then the dial will grind slower, because everyone's in it for themselves and don't believe that their actions have any effect on anyone else, which is pretty dumb. >Thing is, at those times, responsibility needs to shift back to the individual to take care of themselves. Yes, take care of your self. Wear the mask. Don't get sick so that you can't pass the sickness on to others. It's really that simple. >Most people judged they didn’t need substantial protection Think about the most average person you know. Half the people in the world are dumber than that. Most people are fucking stupid. There's nothing rational about not wearing a mask in high risk situation during a global pandemic.
  - dent9876543 2y ago
    > […] if the group is filled with morons that "think for themselves" (aka selfish assholes) then the dial will grind slower […] That’s basically my point. The group is already behaving as you describe. (Else transmission wouldn’t be high already.) It’s OK to bemoan it. But it’s not reasonable to expect people to behave in a way that ignores reality on the ground. > Most people are fucking stupid. No, I don’t believe that. I can get on board with a criticism that many behaviours are automatic, and we are not always making conscious decisions. But in general, people are not stupid. > There's nothing rational about not wearing a mask in high risk situation […] It can readily be rationalised, but on the basis that it’s not actually a high risk situation.