"But wait, there's something weird about arguing that hazmat suits shouldn't be worn because they could give you 'a false sense of security.'"

"That seems like an all-purpose reason not to take just about any safety measures. The government used to say that's a reason not to wear masks, until the government started saying we need to wear masks."

My son John reacts to a WaPo article that asks "Should you wear a hazmat suit on a plane?"

The WaPo article quotes a CDC official who says "Wearing a hazmat suit on an airplane is unnecessary and could cause undue concern for other travelers." Likewise, wearing a mask could cause undue concern.

And what amount of concern is "due"? And as for that "false sense of security" — you're never 100% secure, so what part of whatever sense of security you have is "false"?

These things are changing all the time and are quite subjective. To what extent do you feel safe, and when are you going too far doing things to make you feel safe or that make others feel unsafe? Which precautions are enough? Notice that you're supposed to think about: 1. Your actual safety, 2. Your feelings about safety (which may or may not be grounded in actual safety), 3. Other people's actual safety, 4. How the things you do make other people feel about their safety. And while we're at it: 5. What other people might be thinking about your caring about their safety, and 6. Whether other people are judging you as overdoing it and being ridiculous.

It's quite complicated.