[jfman]

Originally Posted by Chris

Social pressure in favour of anything whose downsides may outweigh their benefits is a bad thing. I’d have thought that obvious.

May outweigh their benefits? Scientific evidence on mask wearing is clear.

Anti-maskers are equally applying “social pressure”.

Doing something just because Something Must Be Done is not a good reason. Virtue signalling is not a good reason.

Even Nicola has accepted the reality that normal life trumps masks in cafes, nightclubs, crusty separatist marches and music festivals (where people are jammed together like sardines even if they are outdoors).

I assume the Orange Walks equally went ahead broadly maskless.

Most of the scenarios you describe are where masks are being balanced against economic outcomes.

All of those contexts encourage close social contact with strangers over prolonged periods - to a far greater extent than those places where you do still have to wear them, like shopping centres and, in my case, for the hour or so we’re together in a large, high-ceilinged building on Sunday morning.

And yet Scotland’s infection rate is plummeting and the death rate is as low now as it was at the end of last winter’s lockdown, in March. So yes, social pressure in favour of masks is a bad thing, because all it’s likely to achieve is to engender a culture of fear and suspicion. It clearly isn’t driving down infections because masks aren’t mandated in so many places where risk is highest (and because, as you may have observed yourself, the mandate is being routinely ignored in many places anyway).

My observations are that in places like supermarkets and on trains many people are still wearing them.

Wearing masks doesn’t have to be binary. Nobody wears a mask entertaining guests at home. Or in the pub while drinking. That doesn’t mean there’s no value in masks in other settings - like on busy trains or in supermarkets. Or that social pressure might be more effective at promoting that than a law that is essentially opt-in.

I’m curious where you think I’m being hypocritical. I’ve stated I believe continued mask mandates risk more harm than good. I’ve stated we still wear masks in Sunday worship because that’s the law. I see no conflict in those two positions. There’s nothing hypocritical about observing the law whilst arguing that law is counterproductive.

Another step down the Great Barrington rabbit hole. I’ll have to say I’m quite surprised by it.

The anecdotal evidence of these mental health impacts are spurious at best.