Why are people prone to willful blindness when it comes to bad news?

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The discussion centers on the concept of "willful blindness," which refers to the tendency of individuals to ignore uncomfortable truths or information they should be aware of. This term, originally a legal concept, highlights how people often choose to remain uninformed about issues that present moral or cognitive challenges. The conversation also touches on the role of social media in facilitating this avoidance by creating echo chambers that allow individuals to engage only with agreeable perspectives, further entrenching their ignorance. The mention of Margaret Heffernan's book on the topic suggests a deeper exploration of how willful blindness operates in various contexts.
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The link looks like it might be depressing, so I'm not going to click into it...
 
This reminds me of "willful blindness". I find it interesting that this term was not mentioned in the article. Willful blindness started out as a legal term for refusing to know or learn something that a reasonable person would or should know. It can be used for refusing to learn that which makes us uncomfortable or presents us with a conundrum that we do not wish to deal with.

And then there are the social media which further help us avoid that which we could or should know or learn by fractionating society making it easier to find a friendly environment and avoid information that makes us uncomfortable.

For an interesting discussion of willful blindness, read the book by Margaret Heffernan https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802777961/?tag=pfamazon01-20
 

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