There& #39;s a trend in conversations about masks that& #39;s really been irking me so I& #39;m noodling out some thoughts.

It& #39;s & #39;I can& #39;t breathe/get enough oxygen in my mask& #39; followed by & #39;yes you can, look, here this doctor on YouTube used a pulse ox.& #39;

I find this response frankly counterproductive. I believe the right one is & #39;can you be more specific?& #39; Key off how the person describes the problem rather than just denying their experience. & #39;It sounds like you& #39;re saying you feel like you can& #39;t breathe in a mask.& #39;

Don& #39;t be afraid to have empathy. & #39;I sometimes feel uncomfortable in my mask too.& #39;

Then the followup should be & #39;let& #39;s work together on solving this. Maybe there& #39;s a mask style that is a better fit for you. Which ones have you tried?& #39;

Is this effective with every single anti-masker or struggling person? Of course not. But I feel like empathy and meeting people where they are is better than just being a self-righteous asshole, as is true of most things in life, so maybe give it a go?