Masking the Truth - Face Masks, Empathy and Dis-inhibition

Episode 48

For many, the world seems to have lost its mind. For others, the world became a very threatening and scary place. Society is under attack and upheaval from both a  “natural” public health emergency and social unrest born of long-simmering civil rights concerns and race relations here in the US. Ultimately theories abound as to the cause, purpose, and even understanding of this all-out assault on society.

I’m sure you are wondering if we are diverging from the typical format to voice concerns on either the public health emergency or to make a personal stand on the modern civil rights movement, in one way or another. Well, I prefer to think I have managed to stay true to the intent of Conspiracy Theoryology while making a timely episode addressing current events. In fact, there is a conspiracy for us to consider.

Throughout the last 6-7 months, theories have surfaced in an attempt to explain events not only as they have occurred, but in relation to everything else preceding it this year. Attempts are being made at explaining the origins and distribution of the SARS-CoV2 virus at the heart of the COVID-19 outbreak. Questions abound as to the accuracy of testing, tracking, and reporting of infection and deaths. Then, when it felt like we had enough, a poor excuse for a police officer either with murderous intent or through sheer incompetence took aggressive and brutal action during a questionable arrest that led to the death of a black man in Minneapolis. We are all trying to understand why, and what it means for societal advancement. How much improvement has actually been made in race relations, if any, if something like this can happen? Well, there a lot of questions that can come out of everything that has happened in 2020, but most poignantly, why these events, in contrast to any other health emergency or civil rights violation that has occurred over the last several decades, have managed to ignite a powder keg of social unrest, demonstration, and resistance. I’m going to attempt to aggregate the various theories that have surfaced, connecting the dots into a single cohesive theory that seems to reflect the opinions of those questioning the narrative. Additionally, we can discuss some derivations from this to consider other narratives that might be more palatable for others.

Something had to change public psychology to make these events feed each other. Whether a hand was at play every step of the way, or it’s been simply a series of unfortunate events, something was different. That difference, I think, was facemasks.

 

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Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com

Links:

The Story: An Overview of the Experiment

Effect of facemasks on empathy and relational continuity: a randomised controlled trial in primary care

How Masks Change Us: On Anonymity, Road Rage & Rituals

A psychotherapist explains wh