THE NORMALCY BIAS
“Normalcy bias refers to the state of mind we enter when facing a disaster. It causes us to underestimate both the possibility of a disaster occurring and its potential effects. The result is failure to prepare personally. On a larger scale, it can lead a government to exclude its citizens in disaster preparedness planning.
In essence, normalcy bias is created by the assumption that because something has not occurred, it will never occur. As the intensity and convergence of many strategic trends is becoming personal on many levels, the boundaries of our normalcy bias are being stretched, and in many cases, broken.”
[Excerpt from article by Mary Miller, Director of Issachar Studies and IDB in the News Journal of Koinonia House] [The normalcy bias is also discussed in the book: AFTERSHOCK … Protect Yourself and Profit in the Next Global Financial Meltdown, by David Wiedemer, Robert Wiedemer, & Cindy Spitzer]
Wikipedia defines eisegesis as “the process of interpreting a text or portion of text in such a way that the process introduces one’s own presuppositions, agendas, or biases into and onto the text.”
We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.
Ignorance is not always the problem. The illusion of knowledge is often the real problem. The Bible is infallible, but we aren’t. And sometimes one of our doctrines isn’t infallible either (considering how many denominations there are). Our doctrines can be an illusion of knowledge sometimes. For instance, not every eschatological doctrine can be correct, and those that are not, are most likely an illusion of knowledge that can result in not preparing properly for end-time events as they actually occur.
Our doctrines seem normal to us, but that may prove to be an illusion. Again, we don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are. Our perspective is our reality. So, what are we … you and me?
Ignorance is an unguarded door for the enemy to come through unawares, so we need to learn how to guard the door to our faith like the Bereans did. We CAN judge doctrine by the Word of God, and we’re required to test ourselves to see if we’re in the faith.
If we believe we are in the prophetic last days just prior to the Second Coming and Tribulation period, then surely we can assume that the hard times we are presently in will get much worse BEFORE these climatic events happen. This continent has experienced three wars, a depression, 9/11 and many horrendous natural disasters in the past. What makes us think such things CAN’T happen again … BEFORE the rapture and tribulation period?
My 40 years of experience (since receiving my calling in 1971) shows me that over 90% of the people who will even reads this article will be either mid or post tribulation rapture believers, or some variation thereof. It seems to take this mindset to be able to see this truth. Very few will be pre trib, and none will be postmillennial or amillennial.
In my lifetime over 50 million Christians have been martyred world wide. Why do we think it CAN’T happen in America? We are facing a series of end-time disasters prophesied in the Old and New Testament. But, of course we all want to live our lives as we always have.
Discerning the times is just inconvenient. 1 Peter 4:16-18 (NAS) says Judgment will come first to the church, and then to the world.
16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.
17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?
Matthew 24:22 says: “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Proverbs 22:3 warns: “A prudent [man] fore seeth the evil, and hideth himself:
but the simple pass on, and are punished.”
Matthew 13 gives us a good example of this normalcy bias in that time, and in the church today. In the parable of the sower. Jesus said:
9 ” He who has ears, let him hear.”
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
12 “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
In verse twelve, speaking to “whoever has”, is referring to those who have a revelation of who the Messiah actually is; they comprehend that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and what that means in relation to His Kingdom, and our part in it.
In context with the parable of the sower, Jesus reiterates vs. 11 in vs. 12, saying something like this: Since it has been granted to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to you shall more of the mysteries of the kingdom be given, and you shall have an abundance of knowledge of these mysteries.
14 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’
16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
17 “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower.
19 “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.
20 “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.
The Bible says there will be a great falling away in the end-times, and verse 21 may give us a clue as to why.
Do not underestimate the possibility of these things happening in our near future. Maybe this year, maybe next year, no one knows … but soon. Remember, when Israel became a nation again, prophecy says the time thereafter is one generation. The theologian, Chuck Missler, says a Bible generation is 70 years. Well, Israel became a nation again in 1948, so that suggests all this can happen by, or before 2018 … if time is cut short.
The beautiful hope we have is in Jesus! He has told us he would shorten those days for us or no life would be saved (Mark 13:20), and he has promised we are not destined for his wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes 5:9).
Think on that!
THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT AND THE NORMALCY BIAS… & US
I heard this story a while back and I think it’s deeply empowering…
If you’ve ever seen a Circus elephant, you may have noticed they’re only held down with a single small rope – that’s it.
No cages, no bars, nothing.
Now elephants are pretty mighty mammals, and they can break free whenever they want – but they don’t.
The reason they don’t is because since birth, trainers condition the elephants using small ropes because at that age, it’s more than enough to stop them escaping….
As time goes on, the elephant grows bigger thinking that the SAME rope will not let it get away – so it doesn’t even try.
In short, the elephant becomes conditioned to believe it’s being held back by its circumstances…
And the same is true for most people.
I know it was certainly true for me!
I was charging $7 for something that was worth WAY more because I had conditioned myself to believe this was ALL I was worth.
The truth is that most people never achieve success because they’re held back by limiting beliefs – many of which are either self-imposed or given to them by others.
They’re conditioned to think in terms of LACK rather than abundance.
This ‘poor mindset’ is what prevents so many people from having the kind of success they COULD have – if only they didn’t hold themselves back.
Or they just don’t know…
You can’t escape from a prison you don’t know you are in.
So what’s holding you back right now? (end)
ESCAPING FROM THE ELEPHANT PRISON
The circus elephant does not see things as they are, he see things as he is. Bound.
That is the circus elephant norm. Don’t let it be yours.
In essence, the elephants normalcy bias was created by the assumption that because the rope never got bigger, that it would never get bigger and that meant to him that that little cord would bind him for life.
If the world is about to slip into the prophetic era known by many as the seven year tribulation we must escape all the restraints that keeps us for preparing for it. The world is oblivious, and so is a vast majority of Christendom to this reality. Prepare for the worst case scenario as Isaiah advised!