Pt 3
YOUR MASK IS MAKING YOU MORE AFRAID
You feel good about your mask because you believe you’re making a positive difference. You’re part of something bigger now. You’re doing your part to help really beat this thing once and for all. That’s how you feel. That’s what you tell yourself. That’s what you believe. But as human beings, we have something called subconscious. Your subconscious is where deeply meaningful impressions are forged psychologically that manifest in your thoughts and actions yet are completely undetected by your overt feelings or awareness. And while you tell yourself your mask is a badge of nobility that means you’re doing your part to help save lives, you’re subconsciously reinforcing a constant fear of the entire world that exists beyond the confines of your own home. Everywhere you go, you only see masks. When you don’t see masks, you’re offended and angry at the people not wearing them. You believe masks are saving lives, and the absence or inefficiency of masks means lives are at risk. And it’s constant. And it’s all around you, all the time. You wanted to get back to normal. You wanted to stop being afraid. You were told that masks were the best way to do that. But now masks are the new normal. And that means fear — ubiquitous, perpetual, constant fear — is the new normal. You don’t realize it because you’re so proud to be doing your small part to help those around you. You think about your fear and deem it appropriate given the dangerous environment that lurks all around you. But your mask, more than anything else, is what’s reinforcing the belief that a dangerous environment lurks all around you. And I’m here to tell you you’re wrong. A dangerous environment doesn’t lurk all around you, at least no more than usual anyway. Your mask is making you more afraid.
YOUR MASK IS MAKING YOU LESS SAFE
One of the cooler things about evolution is that nature provided a vaccine that’s built in automatically. It’s called “herd immunity.” And while the experts who want to scare you in to perpetual submission are pretending that “herd immunity” is some farcical phenomenon that only crazy people talk about, it is in reality our only current shot at actually beating COVID-19. The alternative to herd immunity is simple: stay home, keep the economy shut down, continue turning away any patient who doesn’t have COVID-19, and twiddle our thumbs for a year or two while our nation and its people rot away waiting for a vaccine to be found, approved, and delivered to everyone in America. And I’m guessing some of you, because you’re so bought into the fear, would say “Hey man, if that’s what it takes, so be it!” You’re insane. There isn’t a ventilator big enough to save the USA if we did that, and you’re so spoiled by all the comforts and security this nation has given you that you don’t even realize the irresponsibility of what you’re suggesting. The stupidity is eclipsed only by the sanctimony. One of the only things we know for sure about COVID-19 is that the overwhelming majority of people who get it will either have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. So for the love of all that’s holy if you’re not elderly or immunocompromised, go do everything you can to contract COVID-19. Because the sooner you get it, the sooner you’ll develop antibodies that will prevent you from getting it again. And that means you won’t be able to spread it. And when enough of us get it and can no longer spread it, do you know what happens? It stops spreading. That’s the goal. That’s where we want to be. That, if you were truly wanting to do something noble and contribute in a meaningful way to beating this, would be your goal. But because the experts have you so bought into the fear, and because they’re talking to you about things like “Phase 1” and “Phase 2” and convincing you that means they have a real plan other than herd immunity (they don’t), you’re instead walking around with a mask — meaner, dumber, more afraid — and doing everything you can to make sure we don’t develop herd immunity. Your mask is making you less safe.