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Normalcy bias was the topic while giving a tour of the Ranch last Saturday. Below is a definition:
"Normalcy bias is a belief people hold when there is a possibility of a disaster. It causes people to underestimate both the likelihood of a disaster and its possible effects because people believe that things will always function the way things normally have functioned. This may result in situations where people fail to adequately prepare [for every needful thing]". -Wikipedia
Research conducted in Australia & New Zealand identified that unless there were three beliefs present people would fail to prepare for what history had shown was inevitable and was going to be catastrophic, such as fires and earthquakes. Those beliefs are that when a disaster strikes it was:
• Going to be imminent
• Would be catastrophic
• There would be no help available
Our discussion then turned to the timing for preparing every needful thing and the distractions or reasons people postponed what they knew they needed to do. These ranged from “we want to see what the economy is going to do” or “my teenager will be upset if we move now” to “I am so busy right now.”
Let me conclude with some food for thought. Operation Self-Reliance is about food and all that is associated with maintaining a quality lifestyle when resources and services are no longer available or too expensive to acquire. What if Noah had waited until it started raining before he started working on the ark? This is a new year and today is a new opportunity to turn the dream of being self-reliant with like-minded neighbors into a reality. Now, while we have the opportunity to do something, it is time to make the commitment and start doing.
God speed and Happy New Year,
Philip J. Gleason
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