Never About The Mask

It is never about the mask. It is about what you can or cannot do with your own body.

It is far too easy to scrape off people that vehemently refuse to wear mask or to gather to protest the shelter-in-place as unintelligent, boorish, selfish. But did you also see the lack of self confidence there? In the guns they carry, in the placard they waved, there's fear there.

Change is scary. It puts you in an unknown territory, takes you away from your comfort zone. When the change is mandatory, it takes away your autonomy and you are in danger of losing control on yourself. Those who know to what extent their capability is (a.k.a. self-assured) will have no issue on this. Others, not so much.

This is why people haggle and scream at fast food employee or grocery store worker or anyone who works in service industry. It is more than just 'wanting my way'. It is an effort to gain a degree of control, to know the limit of what you can or cannot do. 

And here comes the mask. You have used the mask before when you're cleaning up ashes from your grill. You have covered your face before when the winter chill bites the tip of your nose and crack your lips. But now it is mandatory. It is mandatory for something that you don't quite understand. Of course you'll freak out.

It's the same as mandatory shelter-in-place order. Your routine is taken away from you. Your ability to move freely is suddenly limited. Even if you are not an outgoing person, even if it has been months since you last go out, that option has always been there. And then poof, it is gone.

This is not in anyway approving these behaviours. I am not above giving out coupons for penis enlargement surgery to those who protest while carrying firearm. And anyone who is in management position, including government officials, should wear mask because you lead by example.

Yet for us fellow commoners, it will help if we can understand other's woes. Shutting them down without understanding the reason behind their action does nothing but distanced us away from them and devoid us from learning to prevent ourselves from falling into such situation. 

"I would never, ever do such thing!" Maybe you will not do the exact same thing, but it does not guarantee you to not do something similar with the same underlying foolishness. I would not be surprised there are a lot of people who laughed at anti-vaxxer but now adamantly believe Covid-19 precaution is a government sham.

Do not hate the person. Recognize the fear. Pity the lack of self-assurance. Understand the uncomfortableness. You cannot change everyone, but there will be one or two that you can bring back to reality with your cool head and open heart.

"You know what, this is indeed a scary time. We are losing control of our life. Your fear and worry are valid. It is ok. Let us follow the guidelines and we will ride this through together."