I totally agree with what you are saying from a logical standpoint. Having said that, I once had an unfortunate situation where a tree branch snagged the safety off my bear spray when I was hunting (unbeknownst to me at the time). I had the bear spray in a holster on the waistbelt of my pack. I was glassing some elk and leaned over to the side to get a better view. Somehow, I pinched the trigger of the bear spray and off she went.
I took what I would call a very minor glancing mist. Holy fuck I was a mess. My eyes were rendered useless and I was coughing uncontrollably. My whole face was red and the misery was real. I can't imagine what I looked like on the side of that mountain staggering around trying to compose myself. If you took a full shot to the face (mask or no mask) I don't know how you could continue an attack on someone.
