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It's far better than panic. If you have to exit a plane in a emergency, grab your bags and leave like normal, or panic and start screaming we are all going to

It's far better than panic. If you have to exit a plane in a emergency, grab your bags and leave like normal, or panic and start screaming we are all going to die and start shoving. Of course everyone who reads about it responded exactly right in their heads.

mianos 5y ago
I just wanted to point out that you are not meant to grab your bags for an emergency exit of a plane.
toss1 5y ago
Of course raving panic is bad. What you are describing is not the result of normalcy bias, it is an actual adaptive response. Normalcy bias is receiving information of a very serious threat and still holding an unfounded disbelief in the consequences of, or optimism about the results, and so NOT taking adaptive action. Normalcy bias is what makes people keep on eating dinner while a fire is visible at the side of the conference room or dance floor. Or, in your case, just not feeling the need to leave the plane quickly... I suppose that given a choice of everyone else having normalcy bias or panic, I'd choose normalcy bias, as that way a raving crowd won't get in my way as I rapidly head for the exit, but beyond that selfish motive, I'd rather have more people respond adaptively and not die. (& um, don't grab your bags as you head for the exit windows and slides — that's a sort of different normalcy bias, as if you are leaving the plane normally.)
- aaron695 5y ago
  > Normalcy bias is what makes people keep on eating dinner while a fire is visible at the side of the conference room or dance floor. A better example of this is paying for your meal before leaving (There is a classic inquest that showed this killed many people at one restaurant in a shopping centre fire) Like the plane, you know what to do but you can't break protocol. Wikipedia isn't real clear if this is Normalcy bias or not. These are breaking taboos (not paying for meals, leaving you most valued possessions behind). Not sure how that fits in. I know I wouldn't break taboo because of another (false) fire alarm and I've heard the story of people dying.

mianos 5y ago

I just wanted to point out that you are not meant to grab your bags for an emergency exit of a plane.

toss1 5y ago

Of course raving panic is bad. What you are describing is not the result of normalcy bias, it is an actual adaptive response. Normalcy bias is receiving information of a very serious threat and still holding an unfounded disbelief in the consequences of, or optimism about the results, and so NOT taking adaptive action. Normalcy bias is what makes people keep on eating dinner while a fire is visible at the side of the conference room or dance floor. Or, in your case, just not feeling the need to leave the plane quickly... I suppose that given a choice of everyone else having normalcy bias or panic, I'd choose normalcy bias, as that way a raving crowd won't get in my way as I rapidly head for the exit, but beyond that selfish motive, I'd rather have more people respond adaptively and not die. (& um, don't grab your bags as you head for the exit windows and slides — that's a sort of different normalcy bias, as if you are leaving the plane normally.)

aaron695 5y ago
> Normalcy bias is what makes people keep on eating dinner while a fire is visible at the side of the conference room or dance floor. A better example of this is paying for your meal before leaving (There is a classic inquest that showed this killed many people at one restaurant in a shopping centre fire) Like the plane, you know what to do but you can't break protocol. Wikipedia isn't real clear if this is Normalcy bias or not. These are breaking taboos (not paying for meals, leaving you most valued possessions behind). Not sure how that fits in. I know I wouldn't break taboo because of another (false) fire alarm and I've heard the story of people dying.