DENIAL

Denial is an often useful innate human trait. Few of us would be able to function in the present if we did not put out of mind many unpleasant realities — such as our inevitable death. The Woody Allen character in the movie Annie Hall stated the comic extreme version of not using the denial mechanism when, as a child, he refused to do his homework because in 5 billion years the sun would explode, "so, what's the use?"

But when a person, or a society, denies emerging or imminent dangers, the peace of mind it gains will be extremely short-term, while the harm may be sustained or fatal.

Most of the world today not only is in denial concerning the truly appalling likely consequences of the rise of radical Islam, but it often refuses to even accept unambiguous evidence of its existence. Read on.