Ephraim
1758
I understand it. And I’m a strict masker and live in a very strict mask jurisdiction (Quebec). The mask has a psychological weight. It’s a constant reminder of the disease, and it represents a a world turned upside down. There’s lot of fear out there, acknowledged or not, and it’s hard for people to bear it. It’s the exhaustion following a long term cortisol response. The system just burns out. The brain is the body’s biggest consumer or energy. And people’s brains are going full tilt right now.
Alstein
1759
It is a real thing that folks only have so much mental stack for precautions and will get sloppy over time- this is partly why they don’t keep troops deployed for years-once you get in theater too long, you get complacent/sloppy.
Folks can only take so much before they stop. I suspect Americans can take even less due to the trauma of American life the past few years, and that’s partially why things have been worse here- not just Trump , but late stage capitalism in general.
Weird, I’m finding the complete opposite on the mask front. Masks are just becoming a regular part of life. Every business requires them so everyone wears them, convenience stores have Halloween themed masks at the counter, my key rack has become the mask rack etc.
I went hiking in the White Mountains this week and whenever you approached another group heading the opposite way, everyone would mask up and smile and say hello. I was wondering how long until pants and backpacks add a mask hook to hang the mask within easy reach when you’re not around other people.
Ephraim
1761
You’re very resilient. You’re lucky that way. Just from the fact that you said you went hiking indicates a level of psychological healthiness that is far and away not the norm right now (anecdotally, where I live).
How do you know they’re smiling???
At one point in history there was pants fatigue I’m sure.
pyrhic
1764
lets not forget bra fatigue
Timex
1765
I’m in this boat… I honestly don’t even mind wearing a mask. I’m totally on board the asian notion of wearing masks all the time at this point.
I’ll tell you what, I’m gonna wear a mask on a plane, every time I fly, for the rest of my life at this point, even after this crap is over.
Same here. I am so looking forward to winter this season, when it will finally be socially acceptable to cover most of my face while out and about in the cold. That’s been my main winter-exercise gripe for years, that I can layer every other part of myself but I’d get weird looks if I covered my freezing face.
Anecdotally here in South Carolina, where masks are certainly not embraced by everyone, I think mask fatigue makes sense in any circumstances but especially where it’s contested.
My wife and I have been strict about it everywhere we go, definitely more rigorous about it than even most of our like-minded friends. We’ve left stores that ostensibly have mask requirements when we see it not being enforced with shoppers, etc.
We both know intellectually why we’re wearing them, why it’s important, why everyone else should too, but man, it can wear you down to feel like “the weird one” for still wearing the mask. COVID isn’t over even if our community wishes it was (or never took it seriously), but that’s the thing, we wish it was over too. We don’t want to wear masks, we do it because it’s the right thing to do. And that’s hard to maintain indefinitely, even for what amounts to such a small sacrifice for us.
Single point of anecdotal data. I live in a more wihitebread suburb of the Greater Toronto Area. Shopping at my regular Canadian supermarket, I notice that most people do not put on their mask until they are about to go in the store. Inside the store, on any given day, there will be at least one shopper with their mask pulled so their nose is exposed or is simply not wearing a mask. Last week, I dropped some food off for my mother and went to the nearby Asian mall. All but one person was masked in the parking lot and that one guy was smoking at the far edge of the lot. Inside, 100% mask wearing and I did not observe anybody with exposed noses.
Yeah, this is my experience with masks. Tri-state area NY has pretty universal mask usage, even if it’s sloppy sometimes. Of course, we were ground zero for the early outbreak, so there’s a lot of motivation for compliance.
But masks are easy because they’re just clothes. The hard part is things like social distancing. People are definitely getting sloppy about keeping 6 feet apart indoors, or going to indoor dining, etc.
I’ve been thinking the same thing, at least during cold and flu season. If we did all wear masks during that period we’d be healthier. And anytime on a plane or in an airport.
And do away with handshakes. Let’s bring back hats. A tip of the hat instead of a handshake. Hats can be cool, and they hide male pattern baldness! Also, haberdasheries will revive the economy!
Agreed. Handshakes are so dumb.
I’m completely on board with the acknowledgement from “The Prisoner”. “Be seeing you!”.
Perfect for our dystopian times.
I’m in. Raise you one tip o’ the hat.
Matt_W
1775
Not sure I’d choose something that looks like the OK sign at this point.
Yeah, you have a point there, how utterly depressing…
I actually used the OK sign at a drive-thru a week ago. I asked for catsup or something and I asked the employee at the window if there was catsup in the bag and she said there was, so I said, “Cool” and gave her the OK sign as I started to drive off. Then I realized what I had done and was aghast.
She didn’t react. She may not have noticed it. Or she had no idea of its current meaning. Damn white supremacists for stealing my old man gestures!
