| The psychology behind why
some people won't wear masks Most Americans have never had to wear a mask for their health before, let alone while they shop for groceries or go for a run. So, even as businesses or states increasingly require them, rebellion is natural -- to a degree, says Dr. David Aronoff, director of Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Division of Infectious Diseases and professor of medicine. But he urges Americans to think of the mask guidance not as forced conformity, but as a necessary act of solidarity: Wearing a cloth mask could stop seemingly healthy people from infecting others with coronavirus if they're asymptomatic. Coronavirus, face masks and America's new fault line "We're all hopeful that this pandemic disappears," he said. "Then we can stop doing as much risk mitigation. But for now, we really depend on the trust and kindness of others to protect our wellbeing. And that's part of being an American." | 