GRIST: No News Or Bad News? Many People Choose Ignorance Over Staying Informed, Study Finds

“Would you rather hear bad news that could help you in the long run, or remain blissfully ignorant?” “That’s the question that researchers recently posed to thousands of people in over a dozen variations — including asking whether they’d want to know how badly climate change could impact their zip code. Other topics included personal health, finances, and how others perceive you. The researchers found that for every subject, there was a substantial chunk of people who preferred to not learn unpleasant information, even when they knew the information could help them over time.” Regarding climate change, Herbert A. Simon University Professor of Economics and Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University George Lowenstein stated, “One of the reasons that nothing is being done about climate change is that it’s too painful to think about.” Read more in this Grist article.