After nearly a half century, folks cling to the “science” of right brain/left brain, in part because it became such a beloved metaphor to describe ways of thinking. Few know the studies in the 60s were conducted on epilepsy patients, where completely severing the brain hemispheres was a last resort for treatment. It had nothing to do with healthy, fully connected hemispheres. Right brain/left brain isn’t what people believe it to be. Yet it remains factual and correcting folks on the misuse is met with assured disdain for being so stupid in the face of accepted “science.”

Mask “science” holds the same potential, as forced masks are extrapolating beyond an ineffective mechanical filter for C19. Wearing a mask is a metaphor for caring about others. Not wearing a mask means you want others to die. Wearing a mask shows responsibility. Not wearing a mask indicates selfishness. Wearing a mask signals intelligence and rationality. Not wearing a mask proves intellectual defiency and reveals sociopathy and narcissism. And so on.

That mask “science” is more about virtue signalling and purity shaming and has almost nothing to do with public safety – notice how conveniently social distancing and masks are overlooked at “mostly peaceful protests” deemed righteous – reveals that in only a half a year masks are representative of common cultural judiciary. It portends “Just wear your damn mask” being every bit as misrepresented as right brain/left brain. It’s already been adopted and 50 years from now “Just wear your damn mask” will be embedded in our lexicon as a measure of community caring and compliant responsibility.