Art in small doses

 Than you, Tate Museum, for introducing artists in profile videos. 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CETuIAzAodX/?igshid=1e060zuo7ceo5

How can I rationalize your denial?

 I can be skeptical when finding out new information, and I always double check the resources to determine the accuracy of a news story. Writers tend to check the facts, even when creating fiction. As an editor I am very comfortable checking the facts in everything I read. Maybe being from the Show Me state also makes me more of a skeptic and less gullible. 

When people began to doubt the news about covid-19, I began wading into the constant flow of news washing up in my newsfeed. I checked with people far away and with experts I trusted. Seemed to me, we had cause to be concerned. Not panicked, no. But careful.

The possibility of infection has been proven a real world danger. No one is making it all up just to scare us or turn us into communists. People have died. I know them. I know people who have tested positive. In the early days, I had all the symptoms but we had no available testing back then; and my doctor would not allow me to come to the office. My symptoms lessened and eventually I was well again. I have no sense of taste and smell, and the ringing in my ears never stops. 

My skepticism about the virus has changed focus. Now, I am skeptical about how anyone can refuse to believe we're in a full-blow pandemic. The skeptic in me wants to know why someone refuses to wear a mask. At first I thought, well, they've all got a death wish. I think this about smokers, too. I mean, seriously, the science says it is very UNhealthy; yet smokers continue. No value for life. That's fine, I guess, personal decisions allowed. 

Masks on the other hand protect other people. Do the unmasked persons have a death wish for others? Probably not. So, why, then, do they want to take a chance of inhaling droplets of covid-19? 

Fortunately, in my search for the answer I ran across a psychological basis for this decision: Denial and/or Rationalism. 

"With so much information available about the severity of the coronavirus and the need to follow guidelines, some people still refuse to accept reality. 

The denial manifests itself in many ways, whether that be refusing to wear a mask or attending large gatherings."

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/16/health/pandemic-covid-19-denial-mental-health-wellness/index.html

Megan Marples digs into the science--the psychology--to enter the mind of the UNmasked. Yeah, scary place to be, I agree. After reading her article, which I recommend, I don't understand the reasons--because there aren't real reasons, but I can see how fear and control shape someone's decision making. Their actions, unfortunately, endanger not just themselves but others, young and especially the old. 

Aires 2 mask https://youtu.be/t9zhieYJtu8