Writing from SE Asia at the moment. I think we need to recognise that it's not all down to understanding and education. A lot of it is complex cultural interaction and historical development. This is especially true when it comes to authoritarianism. A culture like Japan, Taiwan, or Mongolia is a lot more accepting and unquestioning when it comes to government dictates, unlike the USA or even the UK where people generally speaking don't like being told what to do. I do think that there are large groups of people who don't understand the consequences of going along with their cultural trajectory and can't see how "it's just the flu" or "masks are symbolic of submission" hurt them long term. They just reflexively react based on their cultural influences.
