I've noticed that whether a certain group of people treats the virus scare seriously or not is directly linked to their individual level of courage which is a result of their lifestyle. During the summer I've been to quite a few motorsport events, I've met people who paraglide and those who do high mountain trekking or climbing. 99.9% percent of the people in all those groups behaved like they never ever heard about the virus scare and I think that the reason behind this is acceptance and willingness to take risks. Sports I've mentioned are known to be risky, there is an inseparable element of danger to them. People who pursue them know about it and have learned to live with it for the sport. They're not wimps, they accept the dangers. What is a virus? A danger but these people are already used to handle danger on a regular basis. It's not a problem to them. When I made this connection it shot me like a diamond.
That's why the old days of less comfort, less safety in general, less wealth created more courageous people. It was still the case in the first part of 20th century. You had to be tough to survive and thrive. There was still space for dangerous fun. If we had more of this today... Maybe the coming decline will bring some of that back.
From what I've experienced, the people who believe the most in the "mask up!" edicts are people who view the media with an uncritical eye.
They believe "racism" is everywhere. Cops kill blacks at record rates every day. Women earn 77 cents on the dollar compared to men. Rape on college campuses is out of control. Colleges are "sexist." AIDS is an "equal opportunity" killer. And Covid-19 is the end of the world.
They don't look at the numbers or the statistics behind the stories. In fact, they get mad if people do and call them "conspiracy theorists" or "trolls." They view network television as if it's religion and disbelievers as heretics.
This is what bugs me the most. People are docile and unquestioning and will buy anything sold to them by pretty (or authoritative) faces in a dramatic fashion. Most people are not deep readers. Most people are not thinkers.
Most people don't understand that the media is a for-profit enterprise selling you drama so you'll watch the ads, which pay their salaries. That's not reality. That's business.
Viewing media with an uncritical eye is like believing the hype any other business puts forth. It's like thinking Wheaties really is "the breakfast of champions," without realizing that's a phrase someone put there to get you to buy the box.