artificially aware Why Humans Trust Terror More Than Truth
11 snips
Aug 3, 2025 Dive into the fascinating psychology of fear and how humans often misinterpret threats. Unpack the influence of media sensationalism and societal narratives on our anxieties. Learn the importance of balancing emotion with data to differentiate real risks from exaggerated claims. Embrace the concept of 'fear literacy' to regain control over personal fears and navigate the modern landscape of alarmism with rationality and skepticism.
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Gut Versus Head Drives Risk Perception
- Daniel Gardner shows our 'gut' instinct misfires in modern threat landscapes.
- We need the 'head' to counter vivid but misleading signals.
Fear Sells While Society Gets Safer
- Gardner argues media sensationalism inflates rare dangers for profit.
- Meanwhile many measures show society is safer and healthier than before.
Stone-Age Brains Misread Modern Risks
- Our evolved threat detector treats flashy, unfamiliar hazards as urgent dangers.
- We struggle to evaluate probabilistic, long-term risks like radiation or climate change.
