Taking it seriously.

[CKoRn]

I've seen a lot of people (and not just on here) that aren't taking this seriously at all. I'm genuinely flabbergasted by it to be honest! I've seen a lot of misinformation being spread; that it's just a cold, it's a conspiracy to bring about the new world order... you name it people will believe it (LOL).

I've not heard much from people away from social media so far either, it seems no one wants to talk about it - maybe it's fear that is causing people to make up silly excuses instead of believing the most likely explanation: the truth.

What about everyone else?

Optimism bias?

www.standard.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-optimism-bias-why-people-think-wont-catch-covid-19-a4384421.html

"“Research shows that people overwhelmingly think that bad things are not going to happen to them,” Dr Marie Helweg-Larsen, a professor of psychology at Dickinson College, told the Standard"

"Speaking to the Standard, Dr Sharot people said the thought process also gave people “a sense of control”.

“They have more sense that they control the future than they actually do,” she said."

""When people think of bad things happening, they think of the stereotypical person. They think of the stereotypical person who might get that," she told the Standard.

This could perhaps lead younger people who are in reasonable health to consider their risk of death from the virus low and therefore not think about the ramifications of becoming a carrier.

"On a personal level you perhaps don't really feel at risk," she said. "That doesn't mean you aren't a risk to others. I don't feel people are making that link – which is probably reinforced by the stereotypes.""

I think they might be two different things:

On the one hand, sure, optimism bias. Also: the inherent limitations of the average human brain to grasp abstraction and complexity - especially when combined. I.e. otherwise normal people may not understand that the point arguably isn't so much to protect themselves but to protect societal structures and vulnerable individuals. Also: nobody intuitively gets exponential growth. I'm a trained engineer who works with trained engineers and we can all do the math but none of us "emotionally gets" exponential growth, either.

In terms of the conspiracy nuts, though: I don't think they're not taking things seriously enough. Their view is really rather apocalyptic, really. It's just that some people (my own father regrettably included - hence my tangential familiarity with how these people think) have a tendency to believe that it's always "them" and that "their" intentions are always nefarious (at best ... it's usually "downright genocidal" according to the more dyed-in-the-wool conspiracy types).

Long story short: I'm not sure that's the same thing. Most conspiracy theories I've heard went the other way (i.e. radical depopulation, etc.) - but even "all fake news" type conspiracy nuts would hold their beliefs for entirely different reasons, IMO.

Sorry to be off on a tangent. Conspiracy theorists are a side interest of mine (see above for why) - plus: my work is taking things more than seriously enough and we've all been ordered off the premises - TGIF drinks are off ...