Are there people who live in a place where you are obliged to wear a mask in closed places ? What do you do when you go to the store to buy your food ?
Hi maguenette,
In the UK and in several other countries in Europe, it will be mandatory within the next few days also. I do not have a medical condition which makes me exempt, so I have worn the mask when entering shops.
I am aware of the uselessness of the mask. The scientific facts are clear on this. I want to respect my ethics and my freedom but I cannot enter the store without having a mask. I would like your opinion. What do you do if you experience the same thing ?
I have been thinking about this a lot lately, so here is the way that I see it: Making a compromise by temporarily wearing the mask makes it easier for you to navigate the situation and avoid bringing unneccessary suffering upon yourself.
In this scenario, we have two choices:
1. We can be strategic, making it easier for ourselves and others, and outwardly play the role of "good citizen" whilst internally disagreeing with the stupid and unneccessary measures. Assuming no underlying medical condition is present, we can put the mask on temporarily, do our shopping, and walk out of the store. Inside we might be cursing and rageful, yet outwardly we appear like any other ordinary person going about their daily business.
2. Alternatively, we can outwardly protest and refuse to comply because we feel as though these measures are opposed to our principles. For those of us with an anti-authoritarian streak, it might be the go-to option. However, this inevitably means that we will lose the ability to purchase or access the services which require mask-wearing (food, essential items to live). We are the ones which lose out.
Now, it is ultimately up to you how you proceed. The point I would like to emphasize though, is that you can still respect your ethics and freedom whilst wearing the mask. You are not "selling out" by doing this. You may just need to reframe the way that you conceptualise freedom.
With respect to physical freedom, that could
always be taken away from us at any point. In the current times, we are seeing stricter measures being introduced day by day, and the powers driving this agenda will likely continue to erode away at our freedoms in any way possible. This is basically unavoidable at this point, and any attempt to stop it or protest against it will probably not produce beneficial consequences, and could be detrimental for ourselves and our loved ones. We have little choice in this respect.
In contrast, you have the tools to build and develop your internal freedom. This is the freedom from mechanical behaviours and programmed reactions. To allign yourself with what is true and to think in an independent and autonomous way. This cannot be taken away from you, but is instead something that you can grow within yourself if you choose to do so. This internal process of growth is ultimately what counts at the end of the day, and is what you carry over into the next stage of development (perhaps the next life).
With this in mind, someone can play along with the narrative in an intelligent, strategic way and comply with whatever external measures are enforced upon them, yet still be internally true to their soul. And by doing so, you can make it easier for yourself and others, and conserve energy in the process instead of expending it unnecessarily. After all, a few minutes wearing a mask is not likely to permanently harm you unless you have a medical condition which is contraindicated.
So, in short, I think that you should wear the mask if you need it to purchase the items that you need from the store. You might choose to use it as an opportunity to observe others and your surroundings, and ask others how they feel about it. In fact, you could use the sheer craziness and absurdity as a learning experience.