This article in Psychology Today gives some very sound rationales for why some people are behaving in irrational, inhumane ways right now. While many of us are doing our best to adhere to the measures put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus – social distancing, staying home, not using mass transit, etc. – there are many others that seem to “not care” (and behave accordingly). But why? Why do these people, who seem normal in any other way, lack empathy in this arena?

As humans, we are more fallible to our emotions than we might realize; in this circumstance, all of us are living with heightened anxiety and fear, which makes us think in a distorted fashion. Additionally, we are all too often swayed by the beliefs of those around us, causing a type of “emotional pandemic” as well.

Read more here about emotional epidemiology, fundamental attribution bias, irrational behavior, and behavior contagion….

Why Some People Are Still Not Staying at Home