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For a large segment of the population, the act of covering the mouth (regardless of whether it's with a mask, a hand, or something else) activates a deep-seated submission reflex.

Different individuals submit to varying degrees, and in different ways.

Some people become very quiet and withdrawn, which can lead to the problems you describe when they try to communicate verbally while masked.

Others feel intense paranoia, and desperately seek out authority figures to latch onto.

Yet others realize that they're submitting, and it makes them feel weak and powerless. These are the individuals who often react aggressively when encountering somebody who isn't submitting like they are.

It's quite a fascinating subject.



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