One’s attitude on mask wearing is directly related to one’s attitude on government. Let me summarize the two basic positions. If you believe that government and the individuals running it are a force for good and can be trusted, then you will be more willing to believe what they say and follow their guidance. If you believe that government is a necessary evil, must be constantly monitored, and certainly not trusted, then you will be less willing to believe what they say and follow their guidance.
In the United States today, this is a clear Left/Right divide.
The people on the Left are fearful of Covid because the government, with the help of the media, has told us that we should be. And that we should all be wearing masks. So these people are much more accepting of mask wearing. They even view it as a moral duty. So of course it signals their virtue.
The people on the Right are skeptical of all government and government pronouncements. They view any behavior modifications for Covid as a series of trade-offs, most often pitting the changes against economic concerns. For masks, there is also the question of simple efficacy. To the extent that these people wear masks, it is less out of respect for government and more out of respect for private enterprise.
But for the Left, there is a bonus: Power. The Left not only changes the behavior of their own members as true believers, the government faithful. Yes, it's akin to a religion. But as much as they possibly can, they forcibly change the behavior of those skeptics on the Right. This is an exercise in raw power.
And they love it.