From Knowing to Believing: The Real Reason We Ignore Climate Change

It’s easy to assume that if people just knew the facts about climate change, they would act. But as Jonathan Safran Foer reveals in We Are the Weather, the real obstacle isn’t ignorance—it’s belief. We know the planet is in crisis, but most of us don’t feel it in a way that spurs us to change. Why?

Foer draws on psychology to explain this gap. Our minds are wired to respond to immediate, personal threats, not slow-moving, abstract dangers. When we hear about melting ice caps or rising CO2, it registers as background noise, not an urgent call to arms. This is compounded by the identifiable-victim effect: we are moved by the story of one suffering animal or person, but overwhelmed and numbed by statistics and distant disasters.

Foer’s own journey is full of these contradictions. He recounts how even after writing an entire book on the subject, he still struggles to make the right choices every day. This honesty is refreshing and relatable—and it points to a larger truth: change is hard, and self-forgiveness is essential.

So how do we move from knowing to believing? Foer suggests that stories, not just data, are key. Personal narratives, community engagement, and visible collective action help make the crisis real. When we see friends and neighbors taking action, it becomes easier to join in. When we share our own struggles and small victories, we create a culture of hope and effort rather than guilt and paralysis.

Ultimately, the climate crisis is as much a crisis of imagination as of science. We must learn to feel the future as vividly as the present, to see our future selves and communities as worthy of care. Foer’s book is a guide for this journey—not a map, but a companion, urging us to take the next imperfect step.