I still mask, I think COVID is super serious and I work with immunocompromised patients in a hospital, and I take public transit, so it’s just generally a good idea. I am very, very, very vaccinated, but I’m still not comfortable unmasked. Two angry men on separate occasions have made comments to me about masking and how I don’t need to do it. I just stare right through them and ignore, but why are they so angry? It does not affect them in the slightest, and if they think I’m stupid have at it.

  • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
    2·
    17 days ago

    Masks are a highly-visible sign of compassion. It’s a sign that you don’t want others to suffer due to your own actions, especially if you’re suffering already.

    I agree with this.

    So when a person who has no compassion (but doesn’t want to admit they have no compassion) sees a mask, they feel the need to defend themselves and attack the mask.

    I don’t agree with this. There is no self awareness of lack of empathy in this group. Its not like they’re recognizing masking as an empathetic action, and choose to act counter to telegraphy the don’t care about empathy.

    Instead, they (wrongly) see mask mandates as some kind of subjugation (even though it isn’t). They build the narrative that “COVID is just like the flu” so no freedoms should be impinged. Personal exceptionalism demands they rail against anyone or anything demanding their obedience or compliance. They see the demand of not hurting others with the spread of disease as an infringement on their freedom.

    The result of their actions is a lack of empathy, but I don’t think that is their goal and they even have any awareness about anyone else’s needs except their own.