IM7Market Intelligence

Sign in Morning Tape

Behavioral Principle

Belief Perseverance – Ross, Lepper & Hubbard, 1975

Once people normalize the warning, they continue defending their original belief even as new evidence accumulates against it.

Articles studying this principle

The Familiarity Trap: Why Smart Decisions Miss Obvious Red Flags
Repeated exposure doesn't make danger disappear—it makes it feel normal. The Familiarity Trap explains why intelligent people overlook obvious warning signs, not because they're incapable of seeing them, but because familiarity quietly replaces caution.

← Back to the library