Nicholas Kristof rounds up some research on why people gack about gay marriage but can't get worked up over climate change. John Haidt, who we've quoted here before, says evolution has prepared us to fear some things and ignore others.
“The objects of our phobias, and the things that are actually dangerous to us, are almost unrelated in the modern world, but they were related in our ancient environment,” Mr. Haidt said. “We have no ‘preparedness’ to fear a gradual rise in the Earth’s temperature.”
Daniel Gilbert, another professor of psychology
argues that the threats that get our attention
tend to have four features. First, they are personalized and
intentional ... Second, we respond to
threats that we deem disgusting or immoral ... Third, threats get our attention
when they are imminent, while our brain circuitry is often cavalier
about the future ... Fourth,
we’re far more sensitive to changes that are instantaneous than those
that are gradual.
[...]
[...]
In short, we’re brilliantly programmed to act on the risks that confronted us in the Pleistocene Age. We’re less adept with 21st-century challenges.
