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The rules thing is really confusing. When I first moved here from UK, and went through all the bureaucracy of registration etc, it seemed like the Dutch loved rules. So many things were met with a wall of "Not possible". And as you mentioned there's many small social rules that are religiously followed.
There's a strange cognitive dissonance going on (evidenced in that clip I linked to) where 'everyone should be free to choose how they live their life' somehow trumps 'this small rule will make life better for everyone', and is now meaning that 'no one is free to live their life as they want' with all the new restrictions.
tb-
So, I think this is how it works:
Shared Resource Rules are... rules. Littering, being antisocial on public transport, not paying taxes, being a greedy shit (hi ABN Amro Bank!), big egos, not cool. Boris would have 0 chance in NL.
The idea is rules are there to make society fairer (which is arguable...it depends on the rule, as this NI living Dutch finds out, but yeah, that's the idea) like you know...traffic lights. Same for all, chaos without them (though again, that's not always true) and of course rules can be unfair, like in any place. But sticking to them as a sign of common shared responsibility is a Scandi trait the Dutch also tend to have in society.
But when it comes in personal life/your body, well, that is not seen as a shared resource, but your own thing and so... as long as it does not interfere with shared society that is all fine.
I think that is where the mask resistance is coming in, and the PM should really point out that when it comes to SHARED stuff, like train seats, the Dutch are fine with rules.
JWestland
Rutte hasn't helped, he got roasted something awful on Zondag Met Lubach. No clear message/leadership on that.
I am a little confused by the mask thing, I get it, Dutch people don't like rules (well =some= rules, try putting your feet on the seat in the train without putting a newpaper under it...) but once they were made mandatory they were worn no problem in Norn Ire.
And where my parents are (the south) most people do wear them.
NI is already on strict household visit restrictions, no longer allowed and max 6 people of 2 households visiting outside the house. The virus is still spreading...