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«Knowledge is power». «Who owns the information, he owns the world.» Famous quotes say: you need to know as much as possible. But psychologists say there are four reasons why we prefer to remain in happy ignorance.
We don’t want to know that the neighbor bought the exact same dress for half the price. We are afraid to stand on the scales after the New Year holidays. We shy away from seeing the doctor if we are afraid of a terrible diagnosis, or postpone a pregnancy test if we are not ready for it. A group of psychologists from the University of Florida and California1 established — people tend to avoid information if it:
makes you change your outlook on life. Disillusionment with one’s beliefs and convictions is a painful process.
requires bad action. A medical diagnosis, which entails painful procedures, will not please anyone. It is easier to remain in the dark and avoid unpleasant manipulations.
evokes negative emotions. We avoid information that can upset. Get on the scales after the New Year holidays — cause a feeling of guilt, find out about the infidelity of a partner — provoke shame and anger.
The more social roles and activities we have, the easier it is to deal with bad news.
Nevertheless, in similar conditions, some people prefer to face the truth, while others prefer to remain in the dark.
The authors of the study identified four factors that make us avoid bad news.
Control over the consequences
The less we can control the consequences of bad news, the more likely we are to try to never know it. Conversely, if people think that information will help improve the situation, they will not ignore it.
In 2006, psychologists led by James A. Shepperd conducted an experiment in London. Participants were divided into two groups: each was told about a serious illness and offered to take tests to diagnose it. The first group was told that the disease was curable and agreed to be tested. The second group was told that the disease was incurable and chose not to be tested.
Similarly, women are more willing to learn about their predisposition to breast cancer after reviewing the literature on risk reduction. After reading articles about the irreversible consequences of the disease, the desire to know their risk group in women decreases.
Strength to cope
We ask ourselves: can I handle this information right now? If a person understands that he does not have the strength to survive it, he prefers to remain in the dark.
If we put off checking a suspicious mole, justifying ourselves with a lack of time, we are simply afraid of finding out a terrible diagnosis.
Strength to cope with difficult news comes from the support of family and friends, as well as well-being in other areas of life. The more social roles and activities we have, the easier it is to deal with bad news. Stresses, including positive ones — the birth of a child, a wedding — negatively affect the experience of traumatic information.2.
Availability of information
The third factor influencing protection from information is the difficulty of obtaining or interpreting it. If the information comes from a source that is difficult to trust or too difficult to interpret, we try to avoid it.
Psychologists from the University of Missouri (USA) conducted an experiment in 2004 and found out that we do not want to know about the sexual health of our partners if we are not sure of the accuracy and completeness of the information.
The difficulty of obtaining information becomes a convenient excuse for not learning what you don’t want to know. If we postpone checking a suspicious mole, justifying ourselves with a lack of time, we are simply afraid of finding out a terrible diagnosis.
Potential Expectations
The last factor is expectations about the content of information.. We evaluate the likelihood that the information will be negative or positive. However, the mechanism of action of expectations is ambiguous. On the one hand, we seek information if we believe that it will be positive. This is logical. On the other hand, we often want to know information precisely because of the high probability that it will be negative.
At the same University of Missouri (USA), psychologists found out that we are more willing to hear comments about our relationship if we expect positive remarks, and we try to avoid comments if we assume that they will be unpleasant for us.
Studies show that the belief in a high risk of genetic diseases makes people get tested. The role of expectations is complex and manifests itself in combination with other factors. If we do not feel strong enough to deal with bad news, then we will avoid the expected negative information.
We dare to find out
Sometimes we avoid information on trivial issues — we do not want to know about the weight gained or overpayment for the purchase. But we also ignore news in vital areas — about our health, work or loved ones. By remaining in the dark, we lose time that could be spent on correcting the situation. Therefore, no matter how scary it is, it is better to pull yourself together and find out the truth.
Develop a plan. Think about what you will do in the worst case. A plan will help you feel in control of the situation.
Enlist the support of loved ones. The help of family and friends will become a support and give you strength to survive the bad news.
Drop excuses. We often do not have enough time for the most important things, but procrastination can be costly.
1 K. Sweeny et al. «Information Avoidance: Who, What, When, and Why», Review of General Psychology, 2010, vol. 14, № 4.
2 K. Fountoulakis et al. «Life Events and Clinical Subtypes of Major Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study», Psychiatry Research, 2006, vol. 143.