Psychology pioneer Solomon Asch demonstrated how the desire to "fit in" can change personal behavior under peer pressure. His theory is nicely demonstrated in this 1960's episode of Candid Camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNI5jNBFFT8&ab_channel=NikosKaranikolas
OP: Thank you for all the wonderful comments. You have inspired me to film my own elevator experiment: My cohorts board elevator, subject walks in, door closes, and we all remove masks with an audible sigh of relief and see what happens. Any ideas to spice this up?
I live in Japan where mask-wearing while sick was already culturally normalised. But now it is everyone, all the time. Doesn't matter if they're outside, by themselves, in the car, whatever, everyone has it on all the time. I'm not Japanese, but I'll tolerate putting it on when going into a private establishment if they ask. As soon as I'm outside I take it off, and I don't bother putting it on my young kids.
My point is that the stares and shaming that takes place if you don't have a mask on are pretty intense. As a foreigner there's probably a degree of hand waving like "oh stupid foreigner, whatever, probably doesn't speak Japanese so I'll just stew on this quietly", so I don't really encounter it all that much. My Japanese friends and family are really sensitive to it though. Like they all say that they think masks probably do very little or even nothing, but they wear it because they don't want to be stared at or told off. Or they say it's to make other people feel at ease - they don't want the normies worrying about their close encounter to an unmasked person.
Oh mate fellow expats unite! I've got the same exact bloody problem in Korea. This is me going for a walk in a park Bear in mind inside a restaurant or coffee shop you can take them off. https://www.bitchute.com/video/5QPwYZm76hsc/
Same in Japan man. The funny thing is that as soon as you sit down at a table in a cafe or restaurant, suddenly covid stops existing!! Everyone sits around and eats and talks maskless. Then they get up and whoa whoa suddenly it’s covid time again, masks back on or you get the STARE OF SHAME.
It broke my heart the other day - I took my 4yo daughter to the park. She and I both maskless of course. Her best friend from preschool shows up in a mask. My daughter asks me to get her mask so she could be like her friend. I tell her no, kids don’t need them, plus you’re outside, don’t worry about it. “But <friend> is wearing one!!!” she cried.
Sorry darling, cry all you want, you ain’t getting one.
Damn dude! You're a good father. I wish the parents this side would show such spine. I can count the number of babies, babies not children, I've seen without a mask on one hand.