Press "Enter" to skip to content

Letter: Normalcy bias in America

Editor, Gazette-Journal:

For years now I have wondered why elected officials as well as average citizens refuse to listen to those who have done their homework and understand the many dangers that lie ahead for America. Instead of giving due attention to the message, they attack the messenger by identifying them as right-wing extremists or conspiracy theorists.

Recently I stumbled across what I believe is the answer. It is a mental condition identified as normalcy bias. Normalcy bias is dangerous and most everyone has it. But in order to survive it must be overcome. It is a mental state people enter when facing the possibility of a crisis or disaster.

People tend to interpret warnings in the most optimistic way possible, convincing themselves that it is a less serious situation. They assume that since the crisis has never occurred to them before, it never will. This will cause them to be unable to cope with the situation when it happens. They will have difficulty reacting to somethi...

To view the rest of this article, you must log in. If you do not have an account with us, please subscribe here.