The power of symbols seen in face masks

Some see not wearing a mask as a mark of their liberty to make their own choices apart from what any authority tells them.

Coming out of a recent meeting where Vice President Mike Pence had given a coronavirus update, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said: “Everyone should just wear a damn mask … like I am right now.”

I wish I had the courage to have told four young people and a toddler the same thing the other day as they stood together a few inches apart, none wearing a mask. But their behavior led me to wonder: Why aren’t some people wearing masks?

I realize there are people who have difficulty wearing masks due to health reasons. I am one of them, an asthma sufferer. When I wear a mask, it feels like it’s more difficult to breathe, but I wear one anyway because I believe in what most scientists say: a mask blocks me from infecting someone else. I also realize that to protect myself I need to stay away from those not wearing masks.

I believe scientists are right when they tell us that wearing a mask, washing our hands and keeping a safe distance from others are the best means we have now to stop the spread of the virus.

I suppose there are some who think the virus is disappearing and there won’t be a second wave, but everything I read and hear from health experts tell me otherwise. It’s going to get much worse come fall, and coupled with seasonal flu outbreaks may take more lives than the 125,000 plus who have died so far.

The more I thought about the rationale some give for not wearing masks, the more I realized something other than facts were involved, something more powerful than common sense. That awareness brought me back to the work of theologian Paul Tillich, whose work on symbols provided a clue as to why some don’t wear masks.

Tillich, one of the great theologians of the 20th century, came to this country to escape Nazi Germany. He witnessed the power of symbols. He ended up teaching at Harvard and writing many books. “The Courage to Be” remains one of my favorites.

A symbol, unlike a sign, points to some deep meanings that ordinary language cannot express. It often evokes feelings, sometimes irrational, that words cannot capture. It binds people, for good or ill. Consider the power of flags, uniforms, gestures or even statues as the tools of symbolic actions.

I once had a student say “well, it’s only a symbol,” during our discussion. I asked him what might happen if he took an American flag and burned it in the center of town. He thought for a minute and then replied that he could see how symbols are important and can be manipulated to sway others to a cause, whether for good or evil. A symbol lives until people no longer believe it represents their deepest fears or hopes.

I wear a mask because it symbolizes my belief that it’s important to save others from the virus and because I believe that for now if enough of us wear face masks it can help reduce the sufferings and deaths of others.

I suspect others who do not wear masks are not convinced that they can help slow the spread of the virus. They see not wearing a mask as a mark of their liberty to make their own choices apart from what any authority is telling them. Of course, governmental authorities also dictate many other dimensions of our lives already. You need a license to drive a car or get married, as examples.

There are two other qualities of life that often conflict: The freedom to make choices on our own and the responsibility to act in ways that won’t hurt others.

“Do no harm” is an ancient moral principle that might help guide us today. Do no harm to yourself or others. It’s called the golden rule for a reason. Consider maskwearing in the light of this rule to do unto others as you wish them to do unto you.

John C. Morgan writes about “practical philosophy” or ethics. He also has taught philosophy and ethics at the college level.