Amanda Ripley, a New York Times bestselling author and expert on human behavior in crises, delves into how our minds react when disaster strikes. She reveals the concept of 'disaster personality' and discusses how denial often leads to poor decisions. With insights from survivors and her research, Ripley highlights the importance of preparation and community trust in severe situations. The podcast also features gripping stories from events like 9/11, revealing how people can change their responses for better survival outcomes.
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insights INSIGHT
Your Disaster Personality
People have disaster personalities different from their everyday selves.
In disasters, responses range from denial and freezing to heroism and decisive action.
insights INSIGHT
The Normalcy Bias Explained
Normalcy bias makes people deny emergencies and carry on as if nothing is wrong.
This bias often delays reaction even when danger is very close and obvious.
insights INSIGHT
Stress Can Impair Survival Skills
Excessive fear impairs physical and sensory functions necessary for survival.
High stress narrows focus and causes sensory distortions, reducing situational awareness.
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In 'The Unthinkable', Amanda Ripley delves into the human responses to some of history’s most epic disasters, from the explosion of the Mont Blanc munitions ship in 1917 to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. She consults leading brain scientists, trauma psychologists, and other disaster experts to understand the psychological and neurological aspects of survival. The book outlines the 'survival arc' of denial, deliberation, and decision, and provides practical advice on increasing one’s chances of survival in disaster scenarios. It also explores themes such as crowd psychology, the brain’s fear circuits, and the role of heroism and resilience in the face of disaster.
"The fear of panic has killed more people than most disasters themselves."
What really happens to your mind in a crisis? We all think we know how we'd react in an emergency—but according to journalist and author Amanda Ripley, we're usually wrong.
Drawing from interviews with real people in disasters—from plane crashes to terrorist attacks, research on human behavior under stress, and firsthand experience in disaster training, Ripley explores the psychological patterns that unfold in crisis: denial, deliberation, and decisive action.
00:00 Surviving a crisis
01:55 Your disaster personality
03:22 Denial, deliberation, decisiveness
04:05 Normalcy bias
07:01 The World Trade Center evacuation
09:57 The decisive moment
12:06 Modern survival
16:11 Advice from survivors
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About Amanda Ripley:
Amanda Ripley is a New York Times bestselling author, Washington Post contributor, and co-founder of consultancy firm, Good Conflict. Her books include The Smartest Kids in the World, High Conflict, and The Unthinkable.
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