Hidden Brain

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Most of us believe that good things should happen to good people and bad things should happen to bad people. When bad things happen to us, we expect others to rush to our side and help us cope. But psychologists have found that this is often not what happens. When bad things happen to good people, we often find that others don't come to help — and may in fact make things worse.

Hidden Brain

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

We tend to assume that bad things happen to bad people, and good things happen to good people. When we encounter someone who has suffered a terrible fate through no fault of their own, it can shatter this comfortable illusion — and rather than update our beliefs, we often unconsciously blame the victim instead.

Hidden Brain

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

We're supposed to be able to predict and control what happens to us. And when bad things happen to good people, it's a violation of that assumption. It threatens our belief in a just world — the sense that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get.