In North America, whether or not one should wear a face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic is a controversial topic. It is controversial because there is no consistent guidance that has been provided by the various authorities regarding what the answer is. Toward the beginning of the pandemic, it was suggested that people ought not wear face masks. More recently, it has been suggested that people ought to wear face masks. So which is it? And how do I know what the correct answer is?

When I traveled to Japan for a vacation, I observed that a portion of the population there were wearing face masks. This was years before COVID-19, so they were not wearing masks in order to “flatten the curve” or anything like that. Upon further investigation, what I learned was that people in Japan would wear a face mask when they themselves were ill. In other words, those who were sick would wear face masks in order to reduce the spread of their own infections to the other people around them. The mask was chosen to protect others, not to protect themselves. This line of reasoning is not the same as the line of reasoning being used in North America presently.

In North America, when the discussion of face masks arises, most are concerned with whether the face mask will protect themselves from others, not with whether they will be protecting others from themselves. This is tantamount to the difference between egoism and what I might refer to as empathism.

Egoism is what I would call the world view held by a person who is primarily concerned with their own interests, at least when confronted with the interests of others. An egoist will make decisions based on what is best for themself. In the case of wearing a face mask, the egoist will decide whether to don the mask based primarily on whether the mask will benefit themself. If the mask will not benefit themself, then they are likely to decide not to wear the mask.

In contrast, I would call empathism the world view held by a person who is primarily concerned with the interests of others, especially when confronted with their own interests. An empathist will make decisions based on what is best for those around themself, possibly even following decisions that are detrimental to themself. In the case of wearing a face mask, the empathist will decide whether to don the mask based primarily on whether the mask will benefit those around them. If wearing the mask will not benefit others, then they are likely to decide not to wear the mask.

It should be clear that no individual is strictly and entirely either an egoist or an empathist. Each person will behave differently depending on their unique circumstances, personal history, and a plethora of other factors. However, it may be argued that most people, if observed for a period of time, exhibit traits that lean toward one side or the other of this dichotomy. For example, Donald Trump, the current president of the United States of America (USA), seems to hold a world view leaning toward the end of egoism, as most of his decisions clearly suggest that his primary concern is his own well-being and benefit. This is not to suggest that Trump never makes decisions which are primarily concerned with the benefit to others, just that more often his decisions are self-motivated.

The question I need to consider here, when trying to decide whether wearing a face mask is something I ought to do, is how wearing a face mask benefits (or does not benefit) myself and others. This can be established rather quickly with a simple analysis. If I wear a face mask, it benefits myself in that I gain a small amount of filtering of the air around myself when I breath, though unless I am wearing a specially fitted and designed face mask, the amount of personal protection I receive from the mask is quite limited. Having been wearing a face mask, I also have observed that I receive less of the particles from the air, such as pollen (I have hay fever), so there is that benefit as well. Unfortunately, wearing a face mask is uncomfortable, restricts my breathing (this is especially noticeable when I exert myself), and makes me hot in this summer weather. Thus, for me, it seems like whether I should wear a face mask depends on the particular situation I find myself in. If I am outside my home, it provides some benefits. If I am at home, it does not.

I must now consider the effects on others. If I wear a face mask, it benefits others by preventing most of the larger particles that are ejected from my mouth to spray out into the air around me. Droplets are caught by the mask, and generally absorbed by the cloth material of my mask. This is particularly noticeable when I sneeze or cough. I no longer need to find a free hand to cough into, which may be challenging while carrying bags of groceries. Furthermore, if I happen to be ill, my infection will not spread so easily, for the very reasons I have just described. Like the people I observed in Japan, the mask seems to provide significant benefits to those around me. And if I happen to be ill, but I am not aware of my illness (perhaps I am asymptomatic), wearing the mask will again benefit those around me.

There are a few detriments to others when I wear a face mask. My face tends to be fairly concealed when I wear a mask, such that others may not be able to easily identify me. If my identification is important to others, the mask reduces their likelihood of accurately identifying me. It is also harder for others to hear what I am saying. If I am talking to someone who is hard of hearing, and especially if that someone has learned to read lips to communicate, my mask will pose significant problems to our interactions.

It seems that it is unclear whether wearing a face mask is of benefit to others, and may require careful consideration of the situation I find myself in again. Like for myself, it seems like I ought to wear the mask when I am outside my home, but I can relax my mask wearing when I am at home. After all, when I am outside my home, I am not generally engaged in a lot of conversations, and I am not doing anything that really requires others to identify me. Of course, other people may find their particular situations quite different than mine, and so their personal assessment may end up quite different.

I began this blog thinking that this discussion would clearly suggest that face mask wearing was the correct choice, especially if considering others and not just myself. I was outraged by Trump when he refused to wear a face mask when visiting a face mask factory in Phoenix, even though the facility’s guidelines insisted it was the correct action to take. His arguments against wearing a mask, it seems to me, expressed an egoist viewpoint, and what seemed to me was a blatant disregard for others. However, after the brief discussion I have just posed, perhaps I am being a bit hard on Trump.

In the end, I still do believe it is in the best interests of others that I wear a face mask, especially outside my home. And I do believe a world view closer to empathism is important in our world. However, perhaps it isn’t as clear that these views are the correct views. Certainly not as clear as I had hoped. I will have to return to this line of thought in a later post.