As the global pandemic（流行病）speeds up, many are wondering about the effectiveness of masks and when it’s proper to wear them. Most people from the East believe that wearing a mask is important to control the spread of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP新冠肺炎). But people in the West generally would argue that, unless one is already ill, wearing a mask is unnecessary.

In Eastern countries like China, mask-wearing has a long history in their cultures. In fact, people in the East wear masks not just to protect themselves from illness but also for a variety of other reasons.

In many Asian countries, masks are worn in many situations in daily life, such as doing housework or visiting patients in the hospital. They can give people the comfort of being protected.

In recent years, they are worn simply for beauty. Young people in Japan, for example, wear masks as a fashion statement, expressing their personal style through unique designs and patterns.

In Asia, wearing a face mask is also an expression of group-oriented values（集体主义）.

Wearing a mask, one becomes part of a giant group. “People communicated their responsibilities to the social group of which they were members,” wrote Peter Baehr, a research professor in social theory at Lingnan University, Hong Kong.

In Western countries, however, individual values are the most important.

As a citizen, it is one’s duty to prevent the spread of illness in following ways, such as washing one’s hands and limiting one’s contact with others. A face mask is kept only for those showing symptoms（症状）of illness.

Whether from the East or the West, social culture has played an important role in one’s decision about whether or not to wear a mask. That’s because human beings are social creatures who consider much about what other members of society think of us. The most important thing is to respect others’ opinions, no matter how different they are.

【推荐3】Why are so many people so afraid to fail? Quite simply because no one tells us how to face the failure (失败). In fact, failure can become experience that means growth. We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that every person has the chance to fail.

Most parents work hard to prevent failure or protect their children. One way is to lower standards. Nearly 60% of parents choose this way. When a child finishes making a table, the mother describes it as “perfect” even though it doesn’t stand stable (牢固的). The other way is to blame (责怪) others. If John fails in science, his teacher is unfair or stupid.

There’s a problem with the two ways. It makes a child unprepared for the real life if they don’t meet enough failure. The young need to learn that no one can be best at everything. No one can win all the time. The young should be allowed to experience failure.

Failure never gives people pleasure. It hurts both grown-ups and children. But it can be really good to your life when you learn to use it.