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Comment by ivanhoe | Hacker News Reader

> will we all have to wear masks at work until we retire

It's really funny to watch all the push back against masks considering how many uncomfortable things people put on themselves every single day, and usually just because someone told them it's cool thing to do. High heels, bras, neckties, etc. and not to forget things that we do to our bodies like implants and piercings and tattoos - most of that is way less useful and a lot more uncomfortable and even more dangerous to our bodies than wearing masks, and yet we not just accept them, we love having it.

Acceptance of masks as a regular part of clothing is just a matter of making it a cool thing to do.

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The difference is that those are worn by choice, and in very specific social situations. A more comparable thing would be to shoes, or shirts, since we are talking about everyone wearing them. It's not just a matter of making it cool, hats are cool and not everyone wears a hat. Facial expression is a very important part of human interaction and I think that will always outweigh any amount of cool that can be pumped into masks.

Waitresses do not wear high heels by choice and there are some jurisdictions that have banned employers from mandating that waitresses must wear heels.

Additionally I doubt that many would chose to wear an uncomfortable necktie to work if they weren't mandated to by their employers.

Aren't we glad social structures are moving away from these requirements?

Bras are often a question of necessity (avoid extra attention to nipples) than a style preference.

Oh please enough with this "choice" argument. There's a feral organism out there trying to survive by eating us alive and you're whining about "choice"?

Let me break out the crayons and draw a simple analogy that I hope will drive the point home:

it's like complaining about curfew and how ugly blackout curtains look in your living-room, while the Nazis are trying to bomb your country back to the stone-age. Does that sound monumentally egotistic and ultimately eligible for a Darwin Award?

SMH

That analogy breaks down awkwardly when you consider the hijab or the burka

> Acceptance of masks as a regular part of clothing is just a matter of making it a cool thing to do.

I'm completely shocked to hear someone say this with a straight face. Humanity wearing masks over their face forever as if its a tattoo or a ring. And that's what you actually think is a good thing.

I can't express my complete disgust in that opinion.

I am surprised you didn't discuss how masks affect the most fundamental aspect of social interaction - loss of facial expressions. Our faces are so pivotal to social interaction, it is impossible to overstate.

With work from home you don't need a facial expression at all. Just close your Jira tickets quick enough, and surveillance software will ensure you are not doing anything funny in your working hours.

Oh my..., touche. This hits too close to home for me.

I experienced that crap back in 2009... no need to confound it with ultimately useful collective behaviors

I guess it depends from a person to person. I actually find it relaxing, as being an Eastern European + an introvert I never really got used to American habit of smiling to everyone as a social norm. With mask I look less grumpy. :)

And also I think social interactions are constantly evolving process so, if needed, people would simply adapt to a new situation. Who knows, perhaps we'd start using our hands instead of facial expressions, just like the Belters did in The Expanse novels/series because they were limited by wearing space suits all the time.

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