One aspect of human psychology is called “normalcy bias.”

This is a psychological term, but in recent years, it has become more commonly heard, mainly in news reports related to disasters.

Normalcy bias is the tendency to perceive an emergency as “not a big deal” or “I’ll be fine,” as if it were within the normal range.

It has the benefit of reducing everyday anxiety and fear, and protecting one’s mind from stress.

However, underestimating risk is a crucial point to be aware of.

In times of disaster, this can be truly life-threatening.

It can lead to delayed evacuation or actions such as going to check on dangerous areas, so caution is necessary.

Furthermore, normalcy bias is not only a problem during disasters.

It can also occur in business settings, such as underestimating problems and delaying countermeasures, or enduring unreasonable working conditions in a toxic environment by believing “this is normal.”

While it’s a mechanism for mental stability, it can also cause problems, so please be careful.