Masks have a significant impact on quality of life. Maybe while going to the store (especially while wearing the least effective mask available) it's not too terrible, but try teaching a class full of children while wearing a mask and making sure the children wear masks. I don't know about you, but I can't fathom enjoying a wedding while forced to wear a mask. What about while working out? To say masks have no effect on quality of life is downright ridiculous.
I do have a different opinion than you, as I think masks aren’t too uncomfortable. Perhaps because I was wearing a mask around 3 weeks earlier than everyone else, and exclusively N95s, I adapted to them better. They were certainly uncomfortable early on but I adjusted and the looks I got were more uncomfortable
. It also wasn’t political back then.
While I hear many grumbles I do think if one were to wear a mask for a week or two straight for many hours at a time they would get used to them to the point that they wouldn’t feel them, like glasses. I point to health care workers and workers in WalMart and other stores around town who wear them all day every day as proof that anyone can get used to it. I have a niggling feeling many complaining never gave it a fair shot, and probably had a prior opinion on masks before they through it through. Look no further than asking people how uncomfortable they feel wearing a mask is- I think more Republicans than Democrats would answer “very uncomfortable”. Then again, it works both ways. Daniel Kahneman has a name for this heuristic, where people who advocate abortion are generally opposed to capital punishment because they are categorized.
That said, I’ll give you that it may be more uncomfortable for some than others even after giving it a shot. I can’t comment on others’ comfort levels. Still, even if we can’t mandate masks everywhere, at least in stores and other places where it’s for a shorter time I think we should be strict. I hear your point about school and weddings, though weddings are a real problem.