Rich Europeans Flee Virus for 2nd Homes, Spreading Fear and Fury

[Igel]

24. You go to your country house

and say you'll stay confined, that's fine.

As long as you interact with nobody there. Don't need to go a store.

Thing is, most of the time they don't notice that they *say* they'll stay confined and then, a few days later, cite a completely predictable need as a valid excuse for not staying confined. They don't stop to think that their second home doesn't have a month's supply of food, that they need to interact with a neighbor, that they need to get gasoline or have somebody come out to turn on the water.

They *could* have known it, and would have known it if you'd asked them in most situations. But since never needing to break confinement is important, it becomes a truth. Then when the actual facts come up, well, of course--if it's *necessary* who can blame them?

My wife objected when I went out to the store 9 days ago. Had to pick up a few things. Then Saturday she went out. And Sunday. Then Tuesday. And Thursday. Yesterday we were out of things that I use (and nobody else) so I went to the store. And she was annoyed--when she got home from her errand--that I had gone out and might pose a risk. Two times out in 9 days, and the world's going to end. But 5 times in 9 days, well, she saw reasons for each of *those* trips.

That's how human reasoning works. As soon as somebody says, "But I'm not like that!" the first thing you know is that they probably have what seems to them to be a good reason for the self-delusion.