I mask all the time. I take it as a given. But I find it difficult to answer some questions I get about it. Here’s how the conversation usually goes: “Why do you mask” Me: Well Covid 19 can literally kill imunocomprimised people and also makes peoples hair fall out so like don’t want that. “But nobody here is immunocomprimised” Well that’s true “And nobody here has Covid” I mean you never know. Plus the side effects of long covid can be lifelong and appear at any time. My left arm was incapable of beyond 45 degree motion after I had it. “Well we would kinda rather you not mask and us face that chance than you be masked. That’s just kinda life” I don’t want to have long covid again. Plus there are people who if they get it would be in far worse shape. “And if there is Covid here and the imunocomprimised person isn’t masking, they now have it and the mask didn’t help” Well, I’m still gonna mask

Like I’m really having trouble standing up for myself here and I wish I had more of a foundation of info. I mask all the time and I don’t have doubts about it I’m just wondering how to rationalize it to other people. (And I don’t really want to tell them to mind their business it’s not my style)

(Based on a real convo)

Edit: thank you all for thoughtful and wise responses. I think with my liberal family I will say “because it pisses the president off”. They’ll genuinely love that.