Bus Quote by Amanda Ripley
“The public totally discounts low-probability high-consequence events. The individual says, it's not going to be this plane, this bus, this time.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes, Amanda Ripley, 2018
People often ignore rare but catastrophic risks, assuming they won’t affect them personally.
In simple terms: People downplay unlikely disasters.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and plan for low‑probability, high‑impact events.
Themes
risk perception
human bias
disaster preparedness
Mood
concerned
pragmatic
Type
cautionary
informative
When to use this quote
- travel planning
- insurance decisions
- emergency drills
- public policy
- personal safety
Key Concepts
probability weighting
cognitive bias
risk management
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you assess low‑probability risks in daily life?
- What steps can you take to mitigate them?
A Different Perspective
Even rare events can happen; overconfidence can lead to inadequate preparation.
![“By sort of combining the research of a lot of smart people, I came up with an equation for dread [dread=uncontrollability+unfamiliarity+imaginability+suffering+scale of destruction+unfairness]. The dread equation is a simplification, but it's a way to explain why we fear something so much when it…” quote by Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cf5/amanda-ripley-10708_car_by-sort-of-combining-the-research-of-a-l_338671.jpg)
