Fr Jim Cogley
While mask wearing at a psychological level is pandemic, our recent experience because of Covid has been physical and mandatory. To explore our communal experience of this can yield some insights as to what happens when it became necessary to do so:
They afford a level of protection from viruses
Our breathing is somewhat restricted as we recycle our own exhaust fumes.
They tend to isolate us and make us less recognizable.
Clear speech becomes very difficult with mask wearing.
We send a message not to get too close,
It’s far more difficult to communicate without full facial expression.
The mask makes it easier to hide our true selves.
They make it difficult to know how someone is feeling.
Mask wearing cuts down on social interaction.
All of the above while valid at the physical level are equally applicable at the deeper level when we hide behind our psychological masks.
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