"People around the world have been through so many alarms — both real and false — that many have been conditioned to stop fearing Covid-19 in the same way."

"And every trip outside the house that doesn’t result in people getting sick can serve to desensitize them further. At this point, it’s as if we have built up antibodies against fear.... Many are tired of being afraid — and just plain tired, too.... Safety behaviors have become so politicized that many people are skeptical not only of vaccines and face masks, but also even of the threat that Covid-19 presents....  In his pioneering studies of persuasion, the psychologist Robert Cialdini has shown that under uncertainty, people look to others who are similar to them for cues about appropriate behavior. If you see that many of your neighbors aren’t vaccinated, you might hesitate to get a jab, too.... One thing is clear: Repeatedly blasting an emergency alert brings its own risks. The last thing needed in a pandemic is a country of people too bored to pay attention and take action."

Writes the psychologist Adam Grant, in "We’re Living Through the ‘Boring Apocalypse’" (NYT).