--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Citizens are not prepared for attacks…" description: "\"Citizens are not prepared for attacks because there is a bias against the public by nearly every expert and government official. In emergency preparedn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/amanda-ripley-10708_belief_citizens-are-not-prepared-for-attacks-be_3048329.jpg" --- # Citizens are not prepared for attacks because there is a… ![“Citizens are not prepared for attacks because there is a bias against the public by nearly every expert and government official. In emergency preparedness, there is this belief that public will panic, that the public is not to be trusted, that there will be looting.” quote by Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/amanda-ripley-10708_belief_citizens-are-not-prepared-for-attacks-be_3048329.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/amanda-ripley-10708_belief_citizens-are-not-prepared-for-attacks-be_3048329.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/amanda-ripley-10708_belief_citizens-are-not-prepared-for-attacks-be_3048329.jpg) > “Citizens are not prepared for attacks because there is a bias against the public by nearly every expert and government official. In emergency preparedness, there is this belief that public will panic, that the public is not to be trusted, that there will be looting.” [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that authorities often assume the public will panic in crises, leading to a lack of preparedness and mistrust. **In simple terms:** Officials think people will panic, so they don’t prepare. Key Takeaway Build transparent, community‑led emergency plans. Themes preparedness trust public policy Mood cautious concerned Type analysis policy When to use this quote - natural disasters - pandemics - civil unrest - terrorist threats Key Concepts risk perception government bias Questions to Reflect On - How can authorities test public resilience? - What communication methods reduce panic? A Different Perspective Over‑generalizing panic can ignore resilient community responses. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Bias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bias/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Citizens Prepared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens-prepared-1036545/) [Emergencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emergencies/) [Emergency preparedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emergency-preparedness/) [Experts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experts/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government officials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-officials/) [Looting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looting/) [Officials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officials/) [Panic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/panic/) [Panic Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/panic-public-5057753/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Prepared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prepared/) [Preparedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preparedness/) [Public Panic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-panic-5057752/) [Trusted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trusted/) ## Related quotes > [Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/today-we-need-a-nation-of-minutemen-citizens-who-are-not-only/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [The first part of preparedness is awareness. Without it, you are toast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/the-first-part-of-preparedness-is-awareness-without-it-you-are-toast/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) > [We want you to be ready with your personal storehouses filled with at least a year's supply. You don't argue why it cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/we-want-you-to-be-ready-with-your-personal-storehouses-filled-with-at/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Everyone who owns a home recognizes the need for fire insurance. We hope and pray that there will never be a fire. Nevertheless, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/everyone-who-owns-a-home-recognizes-the-need-for-fire-insurance-we/) [Gordon B. 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We do not know when the crisis involving sickness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/more-than-ever-before-we-need-to-learn-and-apply-the-principles-of/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Have sufficient food, clothing, and fuel on hand to last at least one year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/have-sufficient-food-clothing-and-fuel-on-hand-to-last-at-least-one/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Public safety and emergency preparedness is essential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-hyde-smith/public-safety-and-emergency-preparedness-is-essential/) [Cindy Hyde-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-hyde-smith/) > [How on the face of the earth could a man enjoy his religion, when he had been told by the Lord how to prepare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-smith/how-on-the-face-of-the-earth-could-a-man-enjoy-his-religion-when-he/) [George A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-smith/) > [Recent surveys of Church members have shown a serious erosion in the number of families who have a year's supply of life's necessities. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/recent-surveys-of-church-members-have-shown-a-serious-erosion-in-the/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [Let us again clothe ourselves with these proved and sterling virtues - honesty, truthfulness, chastity, sobriety, temperance, industry, and thrift; let us discard all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/let-us-again-clothe-ourselves-with-these-proved-and-sterling-virtues/) [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [Plan ahead: It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cushing/plan-ahead-it-wasn-t-raining-when-noah-built-the-ark/) [Richard Cushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cushing/) > [Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague...Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/let-us-avoid-debt-as-we-would-avoid-a-plague-let-every-head-of-every/) [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [The Lord has warned and forewarned us against a day of great tribulation and given us counsel, through His Servants, on how we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/the-lord-has-warned-and-forewarned-us-against-a-day-of-great/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) ## More by Amanda Ripley > [Well, there isn't any one profile of a survivor, but there are profiles. Depending on the disaster you have certain advantages and disadvantages just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/well-there-isn-t-any-one-profile-of-a-survivor-but-there-are-profiles/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) > [“Kids meet the expectations you set for them,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/kids-meet-the-expectations-you-set-for-them/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) > [Resilience is a precious skill. People who have it tend to also have three underlying advantages: a believe that they can influence life events;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/resilience-is-a-precious-skill-people-who-have-it-tend-to-also-have/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/by-sort-of-combining-the-research-of-a-lot-of-smart-people-i-came-up/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) > [The one thread that was most surprising and most consistent was the lack of fear that people felt at the worst moment. 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No one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/everywhere-i-went-in-every-country-people-complained-about-their/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) > [My anxiety about disasters is lower. The more you know, the less scary any of this stuff is. And that's my hope for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/my-anxiety-about-disasters-is-lower-the-more-you-know-the-less-scary/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) > [“In almost every other developed country, the schools with the poorest students had more teachers per student; the opposite was true in only four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/in-almost-every-other-developed-country-the-schools-with-the-poorest/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) > [“These days, we tend to think of disasters as acts of God and government. Regular people only feature into the equation as victims, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/these-days-we-tend-to-think-of-disasters-as-acts-of-god-and/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) > [“Statistically speaking, tracking tended to diminish learning and boost inequality wherever it was tried. In general, the younger tracking happened, the worse the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/statistically-speaking-tracking-tended-to-diminish-learning-and-boost/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) > [“Economists had found an almost one-to-one match between PISA scores and a nation's long term economic growth. Many other things influenced economic growth, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/economists-had-found-an-almost-one-to-one-match-between-pisa-scores/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) > [Narrative is the beginning of recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/narrative-is-the-beginning-of-recovery/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) > [“The Iron Child culture was contagious; it was hard for kids and parents to resist the pressure to study more and more. But all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/the-iron-child-culture-was-contagious-it-was-hard-for-kids-and/) [Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) [Explore all 64 Amanda Ripley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. 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