It won’t happen to me! The myth of being the exception

Years ago I interviewed for a job. In the process I met the boss and also had a chance to talk to the folks who already worked there. They told me the boss was impossible to work for and I listened. But I didn’t really take what they said to heart because I thought I’d be the exception. I told myself I can get along with anybody, so I won’t have the same problems that these people had with the boss. 

A few months into the job I realized they were right and I had made a big mistake. The boss was very skilled at doing his work but terrible at working with his staff. I was miserable and wanted out but couldn’t leave. It took another year before leaving was possible.

I made that mistake but I was observant enough to realize that I had the “It won’t happen to me” syndrome. And looking around, I realize that lots of people do the same thing I did. They think "it won't happen to me" when it certainly could happen to them. Unfortunately, it actually wasn’t the last time for me to act like I was the exception.

This can be described as hubris, arrogance, or willful ignorance. Being proud and stubborn can lead to this. Or sometimes we just have blind spots from being uninformed or gullible. 

Is this you right now? Do you tell yourself, “It won’t happen to me?”

The coronavirus crisis seems to have brought this out in many people. They think they won’t catch it. So they ignore safety precautions, feeling the precautions just apply to other people.

They act as if you can’t get it from friends, because they are friends! And you can’t get it from family. If you go to work or other familiar places you won’t get it there. 

Of course these things aren’t true. The virus is highly contagious and there is no cure.

Other people believe they might get it but they will not get sick, because, you know, there are “asymptomatic” people who have the virus. “I’ve probably already had it,” they say. 

Someone said recently that they wouldn’t think anything about needing to be careful but they knew three people who have contracted COVID 19, and one of them nearly died. 

We need to get back to work. And we have been putting off things we need to do. We have been unable to do lots of things because many places have been closed.

But remember the coronavirus hasn’t gone away. It has not watched our schedules to see when we would open things up again. 

Be careful out there! Be wise.