the Walnut Diary

Quora keeps refusing to publish my answer to a question about whether one really needs to wear a mask in an open area, or while walking the dog.  I choose to stand by my answer, even if it ruffles feathers.

So here it is:

Look at it from the point of view of a gun owner. The primary social rule in gun ownership is muzzle control. Never, under any circumstances, allow the muzzle of your gun to point at another human. Always control the muzzle of your gun as if it were loaded. Distrust and social rejection among hunters are immediate if they encounter someone who fails this basic socialization test. Point your muzzle at someone, loaded or not, by accident or not, and he doesn’t want to have anything to do with you.

Your nose is now as potentially deadly as a 12 gauge Remington. People you encounter don’t know if your nose is loaded or not, or whether or not it might go off. You wear the mask for their reassurance, far more than for your own protection. It’s a mutual thing, though, the basis of trust in a post-covid society.