The author spent two years in the police and twenty-two years in the ambulance service. Attending thousands of 999 calls so has witnessed countless instances of people thinking they are immune from harm, danger or unpleasantness. How wrong they were. The author almost on a daily basis responding to “why is this happening to me?” (Why not ?)
The psychological phenomenon behind thinking “it will never happen to me” is called optimism bias – a tendency to believe that negative events are less likely to happen to you compared to others, essentially creating a sense of personal invulnerability and dismissing the reality of potential risks.
Key points about optimism bias:
Self-serving perception:
People often perceive themselves as being above average in various aspects of life, leading them to believe they are less susceptible to negative outcomes.
Positive thinking bias:
This tendency to focus on positive aspects of life can lead to an overestimation of personal resilience and underestimation of potential dangers. An example being the tragic fire at Kings X tube station in the1980’s with thirty-one lives lost and over one hundred seriously injured. Although many could see the smoke rising from the escalator they ignored and did not report it. When reported to a staff member he did not call 999 but went to investigate, then called his manager before calling 999 wasting vital minutes.” It will never happen to me” perhaps?
Lack of personal experience:
If someone hasn’t directly experienced a negative event, they may be more likely to believe it won’t happen to them.
Why is it important to understand optimism bias?
Risk-taking behaviour:
People might engage in risky behaviours because they believe they are unlikely to experience negative consequences.
People will try to normalise situations as they are in denial. Examples include returning to a dangerous situation to collect a personal item. Delaying an evacuation to collect personal items, finish a call or delay to verify the reality of what is happening.
Health concerns:
This mindset can lead to neglecting preventative measures related to health issues impact on decision making:
When faced with important choices, optimism bias can influence people to make decisions that underestimate potential risks.
