Peter Sandman: How Your Ability To Process Risk Can Save Your Life

How much do things around you need to change before you start changing your behavior?

Dr. Peter Sandman has made a career out of analyzing people's "adjustment reaction" process. And it turns out, people are wired differently.

Some watch the world intently, looking for early indicators of change and reacting swiftly to them. Others prefer not to get distracted by the "small stuff" and only pay attention once change is forced on them.

Neither approach is inherently right or wrong, but the difference often sets us up for conflict and confrontation when big risks are involved. Those who argue for swift, extreme action are resisted by the side not convinced change is necessary -- as the covid-19 pandemic has clearly revealed. Families have been divided and long-term friendships ended as the "Masks for everyone!" and "It's just the flu, bro!" camps have gone to war.

Dr. Sandman is a top world expert on risk communication. In today's podcast, he explains the fundamentals for mobilizing people when risk is involved and why the US has done such a poor job of it so far with the pandemic.