[LINK] Normalcy bias
A useful bias to quote in discussions that spring up around the subjects we deal with on Less Wrong: Normalcy Bias. It’s rather specific, but useful:
The normalcy bias, or normality bias, refers to a mental state people enter when facing a disaster. It causes people to underestimate both the possibility of a disaster occurring and its possible effects. This may results in situations where people fail to adequately prepare for a disaster, and on a larger scale, the failure of governments to include the populace in its disaster preparations.
The assumption that is made in the case of the normalcy bias is that since a disaster never has occurred then it never will occur. It can result in the inability of people to cope with a disaster once it occurs. People with a normalcy bias have difficulties reacting to something they have not experienced before. People also tend to interpret warnings in the most optimistic way possible, seizing on any ambiguities to infer a less serious situation.
Downvoted, since this is definitely the type of post which is more suited for the OT in my opinion—a simple wiki link to a fairly popular bias.
OT?
Open Thread.
Also relevant: the first stage of processing negative news is usually denial (the Kübler-Ross model).