"It Wasn't That Bad." The Infuriating Paradox of Preparedness
The weird logic of self-defeating prophecies.
God was going to destroy Ninevah.
He sent a guy named Jonah to warn the city. Jonah didn't want to warn Ninevah. He wanted them all to die. A lot of drama ensued, including a big fish. Jonah finally gave up and delivered the prophecy.
Nienvah repented and reformed.
They avoided doom.
You've probably heard of self-fulfilling prophecies, events that come true because the warning itself triggers them. Ninevah gives us an example of the opposite, a self-defeating prophecy.
Despite Jonah's pessimism, he still had a little faith in humanity. Even he believed that if you warned societies about their impending doom, they would pull together and do something to try and stop it.
Oh, Jonah.
Jonah, Jonah, Jonah.
In reality, there's a strange psychological hangup that often prevents societies from truly preparing for disasters.
It's called the preparedness paradox.
You don't hear the term very often, but you see it everywhere. You see it when shock jock podcast hosts go after experts and s…