What happens in our minds when we face threats? What is normalcy bias, and how might it endanger us?
In You Are Not So Smart, David McRaney explores what normalcy bias is and how this psychological phenomenon affects our response to dangerous situations. This mental quirk leads us to downplay threats and maintain a false sense of security, even when faced with clear warning signs.
Keep reading to discover practical ways to overcome this survival-hampering mindset and better protect yourself in threatening situations.
Normalcy Bias
What is normalcy bias? McRaney explains that it’s a psychological phenomenon that drives us to rationalize situations in a way that undermines our ability to appropriately identify and react to danger. As a result, we doubt the severity of threats and underreact in dangerous situations.
McRaney explains that normalcy bias occurs for two reasons. First, we act based on our experience living in a fairly safe world—when danger arises, we underreact because our past experiences tell us the threat probably isn’t real. Second, when a threat presents itself, we want everything to go back to normal, so we pretend it’s normal to soothe ourselves. According to McRaney, this error is detrimental because it makes you more vulnerable to danger.
(Shortform note: While McRaney argues that the normalcy bias is detrimental because it causes us to underreact, it may have some benefits for humans living in the modern world. Experts explain that many of us experience unnecessary and prolonged stress (and related problems such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and obesity) as a result of our hyperactive fight-or-flight response, which hasn’t evolved to keep up with the safer environment we live in compared to that of our ancestors. The normalcy bias may help us reduce this stress—while ignoring danger can be harmful, the normalcy bias can help us stay calm and critically examine our surroundings rather than panicking and acting irrationally.)
To avoid the normalcy bias, McRaney recommends preparing for the possibility of dangerous situations—research potential dangers, practice drills, and plan how you’ll act if a crisis arises. This will help you take the signs of danger seriously rather than ignoring them and act effectively when they occur instead of freezing.
| Follow Your Instincts In The Gift of Fear, Gavin de Becker reiterates McRaney’s point that we often undermine our survival instincts. According to de Becker, we do this because we prioritize logic over intuition—we may feel as though something’s off but dismiss the feeling as irrational or an overreaction. However, he argues that these instincts exist for a reason—to keep yourself safe, you need to overcome the normalcy bias and listen to your gut feelings. Just as McRaney does, de Becker recommends overcoming this bias by preparing for danger, specifically by recognizing the warning signs of violence. For example, stay alert to signs such as a person not taking “no” for an answer, making you feel indebted to them, or being excessively nice. Further, recognize and listen to your gut instinct by noticing sensations such as fear (not just anxiety), doubt, and persistent thoughts. If these signs arise, pay attention to what they’re trying to warn you about. |
