Idealistic Pragmatist 
Last week I attended a Zoom hangout for a science podcast I support financially. The host is a regular journalist and the two reporters are science journalists, both with strong backgrounds in biology and health sciences. I don’t want to evoke the wrath of whomever, so I won’t tag them or identify them more than that (other than to say that the podcast is not in English, and the team that makes it are in a country where #masks were once mandated but no longer are). /1
Anyway, as the group got to chatting, one of the questions from the supporters was about how the team is personally handling the fact that the world has moved on from #masking. And ALL THREE members of this smart, exceedingly science-knowledgable team said that they themselves were mostly not wearing #masks anymore. They even discussed at length the psychological disconnect between KNOWING that it works and yet seeing the world around them stop masking. But they themselves STILL stopped. /2
I was so upset I almost left immediately (and almost discontinued my financial support too). In the end I did neither, but I was really pretty shaken by it. Still am, to be honest. /3
As I’ve said before, I can say VEHEMENTLY that I've NEVER experienced whatever feeling gets people to stop #masking whenever people around them aren't masked. Quite the opposite, in fact. But what I DO experience is a kind of heavy exhaustion that comes from being exposed to all the constant pretending the pandemic is over. So hearing these sciencey people who I admire, who clearly KNOW better, casually talking about joining in with the pretence…well, it was hard for me to take. /4
One of them even told a story about having been on a train that crossed over from their country into another country without a mask mandate, and there having been an announcement that people could now take their masks off. And the person SAID it was silly to then be breathing in whatever viruses all the people in the train car around them were now spewing into the air. But they STILL removed their mask…because the people around them had. /5
I’ve certainly witnessed this behaviour in the world enough times, so the behaviour in and of itself doesn’t shock me. But the fact that all three of them were talking about the psychological disconnect between knowing that masking would help the world’s current predicament and no longer masking as if it were just normal and the way things have to be? And without saying: “You know, this is dumb, I’m going to start wearing mine again!” Well, that DID shock me. A lot. /6
And they’ve all had COVID at least once by now—I mean, of course they have. But it’s not even that, because lots of #StillMasking people have had it too. But to KNOW the science behind why you should be masking, and to intellectually recognize that not doing so is nonsensical, and to have actually HAD the experience of not masking impacting YOU PERSONALLY adversely...and yet STILL take that mask off? How the hell does that even HAPPEN? /7
Anyway, I guess what I’m looking for here is comments from anybody who feels similarly. Because it’s starting to feel a little lonely over here on this island that still feels incredulous about and horrified by all the pretending.
Thanks for reading/listening. /8fin
deakat@IPEdmonton I am absolutely right with you in being horrified that people who know and understand the science can behave like that. I did go out once (a few months ago) without my mask, but haven't since. There was only one person in the two locations I visited that day who was wearing a mask, and I felt like I had let her (and myself) down by not wearing mine.
@Ideakat It's so amazing to hear someone say that they tried not masking but changed their mind because it felt wrong. Thank you so much!
@IPEdmonton If you use Discord, are you aware of the Covid Precaution Community server? If you're interested, I can send you an invitation.
@Ideakat Thank you! I'm on it, actually. I should hang out there, but I haven't managed to incorporate Discord into my regular social media diet. I'll check it out during the break, though, and thanks for the reminder.
@IPEdmonton I spend some time in there on days when I start to question my reality; it helps.
@Ideakat I bet! I don't actually ever have the experience of questioning reality (though I have read enough smart people saying that they sometimes do), myself, for me it's more a case of feeling like I'm living in Zombie World, and some of the people around me don't know they're zombies while some do but are okay with it.