The Meaning behind the Mask
Image from Zenefits
These days, wearing a mask in public is an obligatory form of virtue signaling. Conversely, failing to do so in a crowded public place draws strong social disapprobation, marking out the refusenik as a socially irresponsible type who flouts danger to his own health and that of others.
Masks are for sale everywhere from drug stores to art galleries. Fashion mavens match their masks to their outfits and companies provide their employees with masks bearing their logos. Those most afraid of COVID use the blue or white disposable medical masks. Most of us are obeying new laws and rules about masking, and the common denominator is fear. We are collectively afraid of getting sick or spreading the virus to others.
Not long ago, mask-wearing had an opposite meaning, standing as a signal of anti-social attitudes and behaviour. Thieves masked up to commit armed robbery. Now, bank employees and patrons (on the rare occasions when they’re even allowed in the bank) are absolutely required to wear masks.
Quite recently, among the liberal mainstream members of the Canadian public, the wearing of masks by women for religious and cultural reasons was considered mildly suspect. Why should some individuals be allowed to hide their faces? To the bare faced, not only did hiding behind a mask seem unfair; it suggested something underhanded.
At a more subtle and less conscious level, people outside the cultures that required women to wear masks drew their own conclusions. Some thought it a sure sign that cloaked and masked women were victims of cultural oppression. Others suspected that wearing masks was a subtle sign of smugness – even superiority. It sent a silent message, I can gaze at you as much as I want, but I belong to a group that is so special that you, an outsider, are not allowed to see my face. Now that we all have routine mask-wearing in common, there is arguably less concern about such things. By making those who hadn’t worn masks experience what that’s like, have masks unified us through that common experience?
Astonishing how quickly public attitudes can change. An overwhelming majority of people have donned masks, in the belief that we are protecting ourselves and our communities. On the other hand, perhaps we’ve been trained and manipulated into wearing masks by some shadowy agency for a nefarious purpose. Maybe that amorphous and malignant mass known only as THEY are just checking to see how many of our freedoms we’ll willingly give up out of fear, and what level of control they can achieve over us all.
A really serious concern now is the deleterious effect masking children has on early language and social development. The danger is that masked faces will disrupt the functioning of mirror neurons, and who knows what harm that could do to growing kids?
In her new book, The Island of Missing Trees, Elif Shafak says that “what we think is possible changes with every generation.” The same could be said of what we think is necessary. And we should absolutely be thinking about what is really necessary.