Nothing is more real than the masks we have created, to reveal to each other, who we really are. Life may not seem to be doing something you wish -- but is always, imitating art.
In our world of wheeling and dealing, followed by sneezing and wheezing under the assault of a virus, the “mask” on our faces has emerged as a symbol of changing realities.
A sea of masked faces, for example, is the new normal in cities -- Wuhan, China; Lombardy, Italy; and even the city of Dhaka -- limping back to life having stared death in the eye. But this change in habit, even though it is necessary for the survival of the species, remains far from universal.
A number of influential faces remain unmasked: The countenance of the president of the USA counts among them. Donald Trump, ever eager to swim against the tide of wisdom, declared that he would not don a mask while meeting other heads of states.
Trump’s vanity has turned out to be -- the cynics would find this quite apt -- rather infectious in a world that is fighting a contagion. There have been reports from Trumpland of ordinary people refusing to cover their faces while stepping out in public.
Even the law has failed to elicit compliance. In Michigan, where covering faces has been made mandatory, a security guard was shot to death by an irate customer after he was asked to follow the rule.
In Bangladesh, where the coronavirus graph continues to climb, the sight of obdurate bare-faced citizens roaming the streets is not uncommon either.
The mask is thus turning out to be a metaphorical site of smaller, but equally significant, conflicts, pitting, for instance, vanity and self-absorption against public health regulation and the spirit of empathy.
But vanity is not the only villain here. The mask, as is often the case, hides more than it shows.
In some countries, the rules that have been implemented to keep the virus at bay -- the wearing of masks, the closure of beaches and parks, and so on -- are being perceived as symbols of infringement on individual liberty and choices.
To be fair, the mask has always been an arena of conflicting perspectives. This is because cultural codes vary when it comes to the interpretations of what is visible and what is opaque.
Some Western nations, for instance, remain anxious about the burqa or the niqab -- pieces of clothing which, much like the mask, strive to conceal -- viewing the practice as intrusive.
And in progressive societies, not just Islamic ones, the hijab is a celebration of individual autonomy and choice. It is possible that the war against Covid-19 will eventually be won. But the culture wars that have been unmasked by the mask may simmer for a longer time.
The Chinese and Indians are among those most convinced of its protective powers against the coronavirus. And so many others, including Americans, British, Brazilians, and Russians, are rapidly embracing it.
If these findings from recent Ipsos polls on face masks are to be believed, the world won’t be stepping out unmasked anytime soon.
Such quick and widespread acceptance of the face mask is a bit surprising. Past mask-wearing advisories, commonly issued during air quality emergencies, have been less persuasive.
Common reasons for resisting masks? Doubts about how effective they are. And that they look uncool and make breathing and talking inconvenient. But as of now though these considerations don’t matter.
Between suitably scared corona-believers and corona-deniers, who sense this isn’t the time to mess with governments or popular sentiment, it appears that the world has decided to live with the mask with all its attendant issues. It suggests an uneasy reconciliation, but that may not be the case.
Think about this: About 25 to 40% of the global population could be secretly welcoming the mask. Most people are neither introverts nor extroverts but ambiverts. That said, the introverts do prefer smaller gatherings, more familiar companies, less small talk, and more downtime between social interactions. The mask, together with social distancing rules, promises to abet exactly this.
Notorious for suffocating conversation, literally so, the mask will, one imagines, exhaust the extrovert sooner than usual. This, in turn, will spare the introvert small talk in workplaces, public transport, and social gatherings. These are not trivial reliefs by any measure.
According to workplace surveys, chatty coworkers are the top workplace distraction in Canada and the US. Globally, 40% of air travelers find talkative co-passengers annoying, and as many as 65% Indian flyers are willing to pay extra for a hypothetical “quiet zone” aboard, online travel agency Expedia reported in 2017.
Every self-respecting introvert will recall ducking behind a pillar/waiter or feigning a workplace catastrophe at a not-too-intimate gathering.
Hushing the talkative isn’t the only benefit the mask offers the introvert. For the introverts, the mask, with its famed inconveniences, presents the perfect excuse for claiming the solitude and silence they crave.
The mask is easily scapegoat-ed.
How effective would the mask be against the truly garrulous? Difficult to predict, given how determined such characters usually are. However, there should be some succour nevertheless for the introvert. Behind their masks, they could still find release at no risk of detection via a gentle yawn, a clenching of teeth, a muttered curse.
In short, the mask opens possibilities of less-draining work-days, journeys, and celebrations for the introverts. One can see why it is such a winsome idea for them.
For long they have lived under the pressure of maintaining social niceties, been ticked off for not expressing or networking enough -- at the expense of his/her mental health -- and longed for quiet, more reflective moments.
A muzzle on the mouth may not be what they prayed for but it isn’t something not to be grateful for either.
Nazarul Islam is an educator based in Chicago.
