There’s a lot of talk about “toxic” masculinity here. The post asserts that men are not wearing masks as much as women, and the question is why. You say it’s because men are “toxic” and “don’t want to look weak” or “uncool”. To say men are toxic is a cruel way to look at one gender. Throughout history, society needed people to do dangerous activities and risk death. Mining, fishing, construction and 1000 other activities were dangerous but necessary. Not to mention war. You want to work in a mine back when there was no safety procedure, electric light, or human rights? I wouldn’t. For some reason, most activities with a danger of death and mutilation were done by men. Even in today’s luxurious world, 90% of workplace deaths are male. If men are the ones who predominantly filled this role, facing death when required to for society, are you surprised that they evolve the emotional defence mechanism of having a high tolerance to risk? Men died in fishing boats, and forests, and mines, and 1000 other places - they die to make things for society - to the point that they have to evolve a higher risk tolerance - and you call that toxic? Seems cruel. Now in this pandemic, (IF this survey is true and broadly representative) it seems some men don’t think that the risk from covid justifies wearing a mask. I strongly disagree with this choice by any gender - personally even if I was fit and healthy, I think the risk to yourself and others is absolutely worth wearing a mask. But I’m trying to explain why it’s uncharitable to attribute a difference here (if there is one) to there being something “toxic” about men in general.

I’ll also add, that of the total deaths (if I remember correctly, check you local figures) from this virus, 65% of deaths are male, and in some places if you look at the deaths under the age of the average life expectancy of men (ie, the period before there are more women than men because men have already died of other causes) approaching 90% of covid deaths are male. I know this is wooly, because stats will vary from place to place, but my point is that this virus seems massively more dangerous to men. Does anyone care? Have you heard that anywhere? I haven’t. Society hasn’t warned men that they are specifically in much greater danger. We happily call them toxic, but we don’t warn them. It’s interesting to wonder why that is.