I evolved for the sake of sending a message. For months i went to the same grocery store bare faced- but unlike you I wasn’t an asshole about it. I’d smile and wave at the angry Karens instead of meeting their energy (and thus reinforcing their beliefs, which is at least as counterproductive as full compliance)— all it got was the occasional other guy to take his mask off too. Wasn’t enough for me.

Then I got the gas mask idea- radically complying with their own rules so hard that it makes them uncomfortable with enforcing them. Real social manipulation. I did that once, and I never had to do it again. You went in angry and affecting nothing. So yeah bud- I complied. I complied so hard they stopped enforcing compliance the same week after enforcing it for months. I won.

Edit: to add, since you want to make this a dick-swinging competition- wearing that mask caused WAY more social anxiety than going in bare faced. Being the only person in a store without a mask on was empowering (though sad)- it was never a problem for me. That mask was a chore- I got far more attention with it than ever being the only person bare faced. Forcing change takes more than mean-mugging Karen.

I evolved for the sake of sending a message. For months i went to the same grocery store bare faced- but unlike you I wasn’t an asshole about it. I’d smile and wave at the angry Karens instead of meeting their energy (and thus reinforcing their beliefs, which is at least as counterproductive as full compliance)— all it got was the occasional other guy to take his mask off too. Wasn’t enough for me.

Then I got the gas mask idea- radically complying with their own rules so hard that it makes them uncomfortable with enforcing them. Real social manipulation. I did that once, and I never had to do it again. You went in angry and affecting nothing. So yeah bud- I complied. I complied so hard they stopped enforcing compliance the same week after enforcing it for months. I won.