I find the topic of masks interesting whenever it comes up. The actual wearing of one always seems to come with a feeling of self-protection - even when people know that isn’t the case, it seems impossibly counter-intuitive that the wearer doesn’t get direct protection benefit.
I think it may have been helpful for the government to issue more concrete guidance earlier on for widespread wearing in public, but they decided against it.
As has been mentioned, the protection is for others, not for yourself... but in my mind that acts as a deterrant to me wearing one. The people I need to be wearing masks in a supermarket are the ones engaged in high risk activities (like the ones gathering in large mixed-household groups drinking in the sunshine) and they aren’t wearing them.
I am being careful with handwashing and distancing by at least 2m (including in supermarkets, often waiting for a large enough gap in the aisle ahead where someone is pondering their choice, while people push past me), so I suppose I believe myself to be low risk of asymptomatically carrying the virus - which makes me feel that my wearing of a mask would be pretty pointless.
It doesn’t protect me... and I do not believe I have anything to spread because of the other measures I am taking.
I would definitely wear one wherever it was mandatory... and I always would have.
It’s a personal thing - and people have to do what they think is right... but ensure they do not to take any extra distancing risks because they feel safer wearing one.