> If your lens is being scratched by this try spending a bit more on better glass. There's no point in skimping on something you hold on your eyes the entire day.
Doesn't always work that way. I never skimp on glasses, atm I'm looking through 500+€ Zeiss lenses (that's just for lenses, frame price not included), I've had them for a year and have one visible scratch. I always take care of my specs, always carefult when cleaning or putting on table but still have one pretty big and annoying scratch. How did it get there, I have no idea.
A single solid scratch might be caused by an accident of sorts, this can always happen.
The kind of damage the OP is speaking about seem to match the description of very light superficial scratches causing diffused softening. Could be damaged coating, or just the glass being too soft.
I've only seen this happen on cheap (and normally polymer) lenses.
Doesn't always work that way. I never skimp on glasses, atm I'm looking through 500+€ Zeiss lenses (that's just for lenses, frame price not included), I've had them for a year and have one visible scratch. I always take care of my specs, always carefult when cleaning or putting on table but still have one pretty big and annoying scratch. How did it get there, I have no idea.