To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: With the coronavirus pandemic infections and deaths once again surging back to peak levels, it is an odd juxtaposition that people seem to be getting out and about at increasing rates. Still, I’ve often heard after someone has traveled or been at a large or inter-household gathering, “I felt safe.” I’m never sure what that means (would we “feel” it if it was unsafe?). But it is a reminder that risk is a subjective and personal perception. And it is a perception that is often biased in the direction of optimism. We feel that we will do better than others who are similarly situated. A recent study (Pascual-Leone et al., 2021) shows that it applies to the virus: “People are more worried about the potential health impact of COVID‐19 on others than on themselves,” and the difference is over 30 percent.