Is the mask an adoption of Asian culture?

[Cooky]

Blaming Chinese people isn't very original.
Tom

I'm not "blaming" anyone for anything... That's what unoriginal, unintelligent people do.

My thoughts in the OP are entirely original.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

The psychology of the mask is divisionary by it's very nature.

Thinks no one seeing a dentist or surgeon wearing one. Thinks no one unless theyre programmed to.

When was that picture from?

Spanish flu.

 

[Tambourine]

But you get the point, right? That the U.V. sheilds and the white cotton gloves are a little bit of overkill for most people's perspective?

Maybe wearing a mask while jogging solo in the woods is too, or wearing a mask while driving alone with the windows up.

The presence of masks certainly seems to provoke an extreme psychological reaction in some Middle Class Westerners, seemingly leading them to attack anything that falls outside the familiar or traditional.

 

[QuestioningMind]

I remember even prior to COVID, I saw a culture that existed of Asian decent, that included wearing white cotton gloves while driving (to avoid the discomfort of heat on the hands), using tinted face Sheilds while driving (to protect the complexion), and even face mask use in public (to protect from germs). Now since the pandemic began in China, is it possible that we have witnessed the first reaction and then simply borrowed from Chinese culture and used those methods as the gold standard without questioning that those methods may have stemmed from a previously existing cultural phenomena of style?

Did you also notice how DOCTORS wore mask long before COVID-19 as well? MAYBE we're very wisely following what science and medicine learned about centuries ago.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

Since the flu doesn't have nearly as long of an incubation period, it is far less likely that you will spread it without knowing it. But, if you are showing symptoms of the flu, you should not be going out in public. And wearing a mask might well keep someone else from catching it. So, especially if you are interacting with people at risk, you should wear a mask if you have flu symptoms.

The difference here is that people can be asymptomatic carriers and spread it without knowing they have it.

I suppose that may be a good point. But I have also read that people can carry the flu for 1-4 days asymptomatically.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Why are we even discussing this? Masks are PROVEN to help prevent the spread of airborne disease. We are in the presence of an airborne disease. If you don't want it, and you want wherever you live to not have a lot of it chasing you around -- put on a freakin' mask.

This is not an emotional, religious, cultural, artistic expression. It's a way to stop people dying. For those of you who would like to stop people dying, then wear a mask -- and stop being stupid!

 

[Trailblazer]

That's the division. Moral people and immoral people.
Tom

The division is also caring people vs. selfish people.
It is so blatant, yet the selfish people cannot see it.

 

[Polymath257]

Why are we even discussing this? Masks are PROVEN to help prevent the spread of airborne disease. We are in the presence of an airborne disease. If you don't want it, and you want wherever you live to not have a lot of it chasing you around -- put on a freakin' mask.

This is not an emotional, religious, cultural, artistic expression. It's a way to stop people dying. For those of you who would like to stop people dying, then wear a mask -- and stop being stupid!

It's an issue because too many people don't want to wear a mask, for whatever reason. They did this with the Spanish flu as well, but we currently have a President that is an anti-masker, so the covidiots have more backing and so there are more of them.

The response in the US is sheer insanity. We wasted away the positive results of the lockdown and now this virus is running rampant here. if you look to other countries, they have *nothing* like what we have here (unless you go to Brazil which has an equally idiotic President). Our economy will continue to suffer for longer because people refuse to do basic sanitation (including masks).

In most counties, a 'surge' amounts to a hundred cases. In this country people are *dying* at over 1000 a day. Those in power should be held to be criminally negligent.

 

[Cooky]

Did you also notice how DOCTORS wore mask long before COVID-19 as well? MAYBE we're very wisely following what science and medicine learned about centuries ago.

Well, at least I was thinking outside the box for a minute. I thought it would be a fun concept to explore... It turned out a little less fun than I imagined.

 

[sun rise]

Are you familiar with much Asian culture?

View attachment 41842

Masks in public in Asia is very widespread having started in Japan. So? They were ahead of us and now we're catching up.

And there are a gazillion masks being sold everywhere. I'm up to 1/2 dozen at this point and plan to use them during flu season even after COVID. I wonder how much of an economic boost we're seeing because of people buying masks from ordinary to expensive high fashion.?

And I, of course, have one of these 3D-Woof ones.

 

[Cooky]

So?

So I wanted to talk about it. Hope that didn't make people uncomfortable, for whatever reason.

 

[Trailblazer]

It's an issue because too many people don't want to wear a mask, for whatever reason

The reason is that many Americans worship "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." This explains this insane way of thinking and behavior, but we can see what happens when liberty is put above life. FWIW, over 150 years ago, Baha'u'llah had something to say about what happens when liberty is carried to excess:

“Whatsoever passeth beyond the limits of moderation will cease to exert a beneficial influence. Consider for instance such things as liberty, civilization and the like. However much men of understanding may favorably regard them, they will, if carried to excess, exercise a pernicious influence upon men…. Please God, the peoples of the world may be led, as the result of the high endeavors exerted by their rulers and the wise and learned amongst men, to recognize their best interests.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 216

“Consider the pettiness of men’s minds. They ask for that which injureth them, and cast away the thing that profiteth them. They are, indeed, of those that are far astray. We find some men desiring liberty, and priding themselves therein. Such men are in the depths of ignorance.

Liberty must, in the end, lead to sedition, whose flames none can quench. Thus warneth you He Who is the Reckoner, the All-Knowing. Know ye that the embodiment of liberty and its symbol is the animal. That which beseemeth man is submission unto such restraints as will protect him from his own ignorance, and guard him against the harm of the mischief-maker. Liberty causeth man to overstep the bounds of propriety, and to infringe on the dignity of his station. It debaseth him to the level of extreme depravity and wickedness.

Regard men as a flock of sheep that need a shepherd for their protection. This, verily, is the truth, the certain truth. We approve of liberty in certain circumstances, and refuse to sanction it in others. We, verily, are the All-Knowing.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 335-336

Edited to add: This issue with worship of liberty in America is not just seen in the refusal to wear masks, it is seen in much of American behavior. If what we see on TV news is not sedition, I don't know what you would call it.

Americans have a sense of entitlement to do whatever they want to do, what they enjoy doing, so many people ignore the 'no social gatherings' ruling. Just yesterday I saw a huge social gathering in a neighborhood I was biking through, and people were sitting right next to each other with no masks. The bottom line problem is that some people are just selfish so unless it has affected them personally they don't care about other people.

 

[Father Heathen]

But you get the point, right? That the U.V. sheilds and the white cotton gloves are a little bit of overkill for most people's perspective?

Maybe wearing a mask while jogging solo in the woods is too, or wearing a mask while driving alone with the windows up.

I wear mine when in stores and such, but not in my car alone.

 

[Father Heathen]

So I wanted to talk about it. Hope that didn't make people uncomfortable, for whatever reason.

What's makes me uncomfortable is the amount of people who are bent out of shape and blowing out of proportion a simple precautionary measure to mitigate the spread of disease.

Remember when your mother told you to cover your mouth when you cough? Was she a communist sleeper agent all along?

 

[Cooky]

I wear mine when in stores and such, but not in my car alone.

Me too. Anyways, I guess I'll put my hypotheses to rest. I was thinking that if the virus originated in say Italy or Columbia, for example, where the culture is more care-free in regards to personal protections, then the countries in the world may have taken different routes, rather than following in the footsteps of Asia, (the spot of the original epicenter) where a pretty good example was set into place for everyone else to follow... Since face masks were their cup of tea to begin with.

...That was the realm of discussion I was looking for, but personal experiences and pop topics usually win out here -which is good enough I guess for most common folk.

 

[Cooky]

What's makes me uncomfortable is the amount of people who are bent out of shape and blowing out of proportion a simple precautionary measure to mitigate the spread of disease.

Remember when your mother told you to cover your mouth when you cough? Was she a communist sleeper agent all along?

Ha,ha, yeah. I wear my mask all the time, happily, even with latex gloves sometimes, so... I guess concepts are pretty lofty conversations for many.

 

[Father Heathen]

...That was the realm of discussion I was looking for

Yet you suggested the masks foster fear and division.

 

[Cooky]

Yet you suggested the masks foster fear and division.

You're half right. I did want to explore the possibility of division (not fear), but also culture by observing the cultures where 'extra-protections', such as in parts of Asia, originated. Possibly even explore the governance trends where these practices flourished...

..But It's a pretty deep topic. Plus it's something that no one has ever covered, so we're entering into uncharted waters going there.

...It's probably easier to brush it off, and carry on with topics we do know about, since this was just an exploratory thought I had. Or maybe it's something I need to do on my own, if I decide it's still interesting after this thread.

 

[Father Heathen]

You're half right. I did want to explore the possibility of division (not fear), but also culture by observing the cultures where 'extra-protections', such as in parts of Asia, originated. Possibly even explore the governance trends where these practices flourished...

..But It's a pretty deep topic. Plus it's something that no one has ever covered, so we're entering into uncharted waters going there.

...It's probably easier to brush it off, and carry on with topics we do know about, since this was just an exploratory thought I had. Or maybe it's something I need to do on my own, if I decide it's still interesting after this thread.

So you really think there is more than meets the eye when it comes to PPE and its roll regarding health and safety?

 

[oldbadger]

I remember even prior to COVID, I saw a culture that existed of Asian decent, that included wearing white cotton gloves while driving (to avoid the discomfort of heat on the hands), using tinted face Sheilds while driving (to protect the complexion), and even face mask use in public (to protect from germs). Now since the pandemic began in China, is it possible that we have witnessed the first reaction and then simply borrowed from Chinese culture and used those methods as the gold standard without questioning that those methods may have stemmed from a previously existing cultural phenomena of style?

No....... !!
They just had more brains than us.

If we had just used a bit more brain and a bit less bigotry we might, just might, have entered this dreadful wave of sickness in a stronger position than we are now.