Reader Question: Facial Cues and Face Diapers?

Here’s the latest reader question, along with my reply!

Ugg writes: Want to relate a couple stories. Met with three folks in my office today. One couple forgot their Face Diaper, I said no problem. We chatted about it and agreed it was nonsense. The third person arrived early and my dog – he is my receptionist – let me know know but I had forgotten to lock the door so he stripped her Diaper off (he is a puppy and loves to love people to death). Fortunately she was ok with the assault.

Anyway she also felt the Diapering is bullshit. It is very had to hold a conversation with someone especially about important matters without non-verbal communication. I cannot do it. So I am not going to do it. I will from now on let folks wear Face Diapers into the office if they so choose.  I will wear one to greet them as a courtesy if they have one on.
But when we get down to brass tacks, I insist on facial communication. I need to read my folks. Diapers do not allow that. Why do the politicians always speak without Diapers. Do Diapers make them liars or just reinforce that fact? The Dictatris in my state, Wretched Whitchmer was on the short list for VP; I was torn.I wanted her gone from Michigan but did not want to inflict her on the entire country.

My reply: I agree that Diapering – among its many miseries and evils – makes it much more stressful to have any kind of conversation with those Diapered. It is like talking to a vending machine. We are wired by biology to unconsciously as well as consciously read people’s faces. The Diaper, by obscuring the face, makes it harder to know whether the person you are attempting to communicate with is relaxed and receptive or angry or confused. It is a very alienating thing, which I think is deliberate. The Diaper pushers have got to know that Diapers are medically absurd in the face of a respiratory virus, specially in the face of people who aren’t sick.

Wearing a Diaper when healthy is like wearing Depends when continent.

It is about demoralization – and compliance theater. Which is why I will never wear a Face Diaper, out of “courtesy” or otherwise. I don’t indulge the sick in the head and refuse to pretend I am sick when I am not.