In the past, women, hiding their faces, made many of us uncomfortable. We didn’t understand, didn’t even try. They just didn’t fit in our culture and our ways of thinking that everybody has to be just like us.
Women, asked by men to hide their smiles must beam with joy behind their veil, watching men now being forced by nature, to cover part of their faces as well.
The Western world for centuries was not kind to people who wore face coverings, no matter why they did it. We judged, we feared, we openly showed disrespect for a custom were not familiar with.
Native dancers, celebrating hunting season or war preparation, peace, and harvest while wearing a mask all over the world, were tourist attractions. Their beauty fascinated us, their rituals were a mystery.
Masks, for so many different reasons, often worn with pride and joy, but also with fear and horror, have divided us for centuries.
Perhaps the virus and the pandemic forcing us to wear masks will bring us closer together.
But perhaps nothing ever will!
It’s funny you wrote about the fake smiles. I was thinking this morning as I passed someone while wearing my mask, that a smile used to be a silent greeting, Even if you didn’t say hello, a smile “is the shortest distance between 2 people” as the saying goes. I realized I had instinctively smiled at the person, but then was saddened to realize they could not see it. Now a barrier to that short distance between us.
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That’s true but there are other forms of silent greetings. A nod with the head, a salute, gentlemen lifting tipping their hats. We will find a way to continue the silent greeting. I started nodding 🙂
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You’ve inspired a couple of thoughts. The first was to do with psychological research into the wearing of masks and how it could increase aggression perhaps due to the anonymity they provide. Perhaps a reason for distrust other than culture? The second was how babies are primed to respond to human facial patterns almost from birth. How will face masking impact the neural connections when faces outside of immediate family are masked? Thirdly, we don’t just smile with our lips. My experience of masks is longer eye contact with strangers (e.g. at the checkout) to better read the expression. But heck, in spite of that, masks really do not help in learning a new language. I realise I lip read a lot, suspecting deafness in certain ranges. Thanks for the food for thought!
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I have too- or a handwave..straight up and side to side 😀
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Perhaps and perhaps
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It’s almost like a mini prison I find Bridget, a part of everyone’s personality is missing, the visual greetings are diminished.
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The fake smiles are gone, that’s one aspect I like. I don’t particularly care for the face masks either but I don’t think that part of our personality is missing. I do hope, that when I smile -and mean it- that it reaches my eyes.
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