Actions Speak

OK, just a quick reminder regarding this picture. As I’ve mentioned before, when a person’s words (you should social distance and wear a mask to be safe from the dangerous covid) conflict with their actions (riding on an airplane in close contact with others while not wearing a mask)…you should always believe their actions. Although the actual numbers are debateable, I have seen material which suggests that of all interpersonal communication, between 70-90% may be nonverbal. Even if it is somewhat less than that, there is no doubt that it comprises the majority of our interactions with each other. Just as an aside, I have always been a fan of this cell phone commercial which demonstrates just how much tone and body language can affect the message, regardless of the actual words being spoken:

But in this case, we have Texas Democrats clearly communicating nonverbally that either:

A. They do not actually believe that covid is all that dangerous, or

B. They do not actually believe that social distancing is helpful, or

C. They do not believe that masks provide any worthwhile protection, or

D. All of the above.

We know this because…assuming they do not have a death wish…their behavior clearly demonstrates that they do not actually feel it necessary to follow the same restrictions they would place on you. If they were afraid of getting the virus and believed these mitigations were actually effective, they’d either be masked or they wouldn’t be on the plane at all.

So lock this little mantra away, and save it for those times when you need to divine when you’re being lied to: When verbal and nonverbal are in conflict, always believe the nonverbal.

PS - I can’t find any information which suggests that all passengers on that flight tested and/or vaccinated, so don’t try to use that argument to excuse their behavior. Especially since three of them have now tested positive. Go down that road, and you lose the ability to assert that testing and vaccination are pathways to safety.