Yes, that's something I've had more trouble than anything trying to get people to understand. Far and away the most prevalent belief about Covid I've come across is the "masks protect others not yourself."

The danger of stating it that way is how much it turns the tables on the social game of maskers. Just think of two potential mask cases:

• "Masks work to protect myself from Covid" -- this makes it difficult to impose. It empowers those who choose not to wear a mask. Even if we were talking about the literal black death, the fact of the matter is it's kinda a Chad move to walk around amongst the black death not in fear. Even if the fear is warranted.
• "Masks don't protect you, they are to protect others" -- This is how we get stuck with this bullshit social experiment. Someone else without a mask is now only a hazard to others. They are killing you with their carelessness. It's imperative that they are forced to comply. Extra bonus the mask fetishists get endless opportunities to virtue signal. Because again, they are saving others because they care and have empathy.

The fact that it was allowed for this game to be played with masks is one of the most dangerous tricks they got away with. Look how easily that mindset has translated to a vaccine. I mean a vaccine that protects others and not yourself would just be a whole different level of stupidity, but now that you have millions and millions of people bought into this mindset of protecting others here we are.

FYI, I'm still on the masks don't do shit beyond what they used to be for, like keeping a surgeon from spitting in an open would or keeping visible dust inhalation minimized in things like construction. So I'm not laying any other claims to the usefulness of masks beyond that.