Normalcy Bias Reminder
The normalcy 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 often results in situations where people fail to adequately prepare for a disaster, and on a larger scale, the failure of the government 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 also results 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.
good comments - thank you
good comments - thank you all.
They are illustrative that at least some people are striving to stay objective and not fall into the bias. It's very difficult. As the majority of the media dictates, I, too, want to believe: 1. the multiple reactor meltdowns in Japan are not a problem. 2. the financial meltdown in the US is not a problem. 3. the freedom meltdown in the US and rapidly growing police state at federal, state and local levels is not a problem 4. the middle east and some European political meltdowns prompted by the West destabilizing foreign governments is not a problem.
Critical thinking must have
Critical thinking must have left majority of society. Try and tell anyone that you are concerned about contamination here in the US and they think you are a crack pot, an alarmist, and a hypochondriac. I find that people are trying so hard not to face reality, mostly, I believe is due to not knowing what to do or how to get the information so they can put the pieces together and make an attempt to protect themselves. Or simply, it is too hard.
The American Police State is
The American Police State is the 'New Normal'
The headline says is all.
The headline says is all. And yet we as a society permit it all to continue, don't we? Many of us still even make excuses. And it just keeps getting worse and worse. I guess we do deserve what we get.
For "fun", google 'police state us' and see what you get. The links run the gamut of left, right and libertarian, and chronicle astounding facts.
As mentioned below: we have met the enemy and he is us.
A different ‘normal’
A different ‘normal’
The normalcy bias works quite differently for seasoned players than for the unwashed.
For example, those who have been trained for and/or work with radionuclides and radiation sources have a different ‘normal’.
Emergency workers & disaster response teams have a different ‘normal’.
Military personnel and dependants have a different ‘normal’.
Media field reporters have a different 'normal'.
Liars have a different ‘normal’. Lawyers have a different … but now I am repeating myself.
Homicidal politicians and guilty corporate shills have a different ‘normal’.
Yes. This is why I believe
Yes. This is why I believe the BRAWM team do have the best of intentions. But they underestimate the risk. I don't think their data are inaccurate, but I do think that there is more than one way to interpret them (including the void of data they are not able to collect).
Sometimes you need to see the things you scrutinize for years through fresh eyes.
None of us are invunerable to this bias so please don't think I trying to put myself in any way above BRAWM. I was more ignorant when this started though (and knowing I was ignorant, I had no strong opinion on these things), and that means that this particular bias on this particular topic was not as big a barrier for me. Even so, I've grown up around them all my life, with everyone acting like they were as natural as trees. I can't fully imagine what an intelligent person from a culture that had never been exposed to the concept of nuclear power would think, but if anyone knows a particularly bright and thoughtful child or teenager that has not been saturated with this topic already, he/she may make a good sounding board.
Also, when you are an expert at something, it is sometimes difficult to see where the borders of your expertise end. We overestimate. We all do it. That's why experts can paradoxically be the last to act in an emergency situation.
Experts have information that the rest of us depend on. They're worth their weight in gold. But in terms of their calibration regarding interpreting when to sound the alarm - that part I prefer to get from fresher eyes.
:( Thus, by my best lights,
:(
Thus, by my best lights, and present assumptions:
Ann Coulter, JD appears to be retained counsel by GE, or a liar, but I am repeating myself.
Barack Obama, together with 50 Governors, 100 US Senators, members of the US House of Representatives, and every mayor in the USA are homicidal politicians or liars, but again, I am repeating myself.
They knew, as many of us knew; they were briefed, but they deliberately lied. They collectively have no honor, no code and no shred of human decency.
Don't get me started on GE, TEPCO, HITACHI, SIEMENS, Japanese politicians, UN politicians ... et al ...
Don't get me started on how the public should demonstrate their gratitude, worldwide.
:(
Normalcy bias compounded by
Normalcy bias compounded by lack of information, circumstance understanding way beyond the average citizens' knowledge base, intentional media downplay, peer pressure (your concerned about what???), fear for your children's safety, and safe refuge other than leaving the country. Unprecedented. However, people must come first...and humanity must rise to the occasion. Protecting the health and safety of citizens must come first.
The normalcy bias is a
The normalcy bias is a fascinating psychological aspect of the human mind. Of course we revert to it so easily to protect ourselves from overwhelming stress. We WANT to believe the "authorities"; thus, we are vulnerable to propaganda and manipulation. As discussed in another thread, this is also the tactic of the con man and his mark. The mark wants to believe the con because it benefits him to do so.
In these days, the normalcy bias is our worst enemy. Or, "We have met the enemy and he is us."
They suck
:(
The entire political 'leadership' cadre of these United States has concluded that they would prefer the citizenry to unnecessarily suffer a painful cancer and an early trip to the grave.
They have concluded, en masse, that a misinformed, calm, sick and dead victim; is preferred over an alert, healthy and vigilant citizenry.
The dinosaur media of PBS, ABC, CBS, Fox & CNN concur. NBC, a subsidiary of General Electric, at the time, has 'skin in the game'. GE built the defective designed 'containment systems' at Fukushima.
The Fukushima disaster provides a keen insight, into the homicidal tendencies, of the present group of Democrat, Republican and Tea Party political officeholders of this nation.
:(