i’ve seen people absolutely vilified for not masking outdoors, eating indoors sometimes, going to concerts & conventions masked (because attending these events at all is deemed a moral failing), etc. i just feel like, given that most people are not masking at all, wouldn’t encouraging that people mask in crowded spaces and public indoor places while giving a little grace be more effective toward encouraging people to mask? i just feel like it’s a very all-or-nothing line of thinking that alienates and shames a lot of people who may be open to masking in some spaces at least.

in my personal experience as someone who is trying to bridge the gap, i know i’ve influenced people i know to at least mask in certain situations, and i think giving them grace while modeling covid caution and masking has contributed to those small successes. i’ve had friends who don’t mask consistently mask with me at concerts without resistance. i’ve started bringing extra masks to events because sometimes my friends see mine and ask for one or say, “i should’ve brought my mask.”

i do think the anger from immunocompromised people is warranted and they should be able to express it; i’m just thinking about it strategically while taking into account human nature. people run away from shame. i know i’m not as covid cautious as some people but i also know im more covid cautious than most. and ofc i just communicate risks to people who are more cautious than i am if we’re going to be sharing space.

edit: based off replies it seems i need to clarify this - i am not criticizing people who are trying to be as perfect as possible with their own precautions; i am criticizing imposing that perfection onto others, not because it’s necessarily wrong, but because it’s extremely ineffective and i don’t think anyone’s mind or behavior has been changed that way.