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.

  • DirigibleProtein@aussie.zone
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    4 days ago

    I’m immunocompromised and I wear a mask whenever I go out. When people challenge me, saying “COVID is over, and anyway, it’s just like a cold”, I tell them that it’s not over, it will never be over, over 100 people in our local city went to hospital just last week, and another 30 or so died from it.

    I think that people know deep down that COVID really is serious, they don’t want to admit it or wear masks, and seeing people taking it seriously makes them feel threatened emotionally and philosophically.

  • Susaga@sh.itjust.works
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    6 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. 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.

    • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
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      6 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.

  • EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    6 days ago

    Trump made masks political, so wearing one is a political statement to these people.

    They have made their political beliefs their entire personality to compensate for their low self confidence and so have to aggressively display their beliefs like a peacock anytime they think somebody is challenging those beliefs, regardless of how benign or irrelevant it is.

  • Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de
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    6 days ago

    Yesterday, I was in the local Aldi to get some groceries and the cashier was sick. Coughing constantly, blowing her nose between customers. People complimented her for her strong will and eagerness to go to work despite being sick and found it admirable to act like this, I found it disgusting and was questioning my sanity.

    Why is it socially acceptable to spread your bullshit disease everywhere instead of just staying at home and recovering quicker? Humanity learned nothing from covid.

  • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    6 days ago

    Some people are so sucked up in a COVID denialist media bubble they can’t help themselves. Seeing a mask isn’t just seeing someone minding their own damn business, it’s evidence of an existential threat to society.

    Yeah, it’s stupid as shit, but that’s how they function. Nonreaction or minimal reaction as you’ve been doing is definitely the way to go. Anyone confronting you over a mask in public is probably not stable enough to have a discussion or argue with.