Normalcy Bias

• John Larsen describes how Normalcy Bias keeps people in high-demand religions and cults on Mormon Stories Podcast
  • Covers more than just religious aspect: talks about normalcy bias theoretical effect on fight/flight/fawn response — basically, it looks like John Larsen describes how the normalcy bias triggers a very strong fawn response, to the point that the person wants to cling so hard to what should be "normal" that they want to deny the reality in front of them. I find this fascinating.
  • "These behaviours that we have been talking about are deeply embedded cognitive biases."

A cognitive bias is a systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment. (Wikipédia)

Normalcy bias has also been called analysis paralysis, the ostrich effect, and by first responders, the negative panic. The opposite of normalcy bias is overreaction, or worst-case scenario bias,

• "Worst-case thinking means generally bad decision making for several reasons." 'Worst-case thinking makes us nuts, not safe' by Bruce Schneir, special to CNN, May 12, 2010

• Read the first chapter of Environmental History in the Making: Volume I: Explaining