While working in Mozambique, Rosling came across a disease he couldn’t identify. It may have been food poisoning, but it could have just as easily been a contagious illness with the potential for rapid spread. Out of caution, he advised the mayor to set up a roadblock and stop the buses to the city. Later that day, Rosling discovered that dead mothers and children were being pulled from the sea. When the buses stopped, the people sought alternative transport to the city. They piled into fishing boats that were not equipped to support extra passengers. The boats capsized, and the women and children, unable to swim, drowned, all because of the roadblock.

The urgency instinct “makes us want to take immediate action in the face of a perceived imminent danger” (227). The important part of this definition is “perceived.” The danger may not be real, but this instinct convinces our brains we must take drastic and immediate action to avoid a catastrophe. If you are in the path of an oncoming car, this instinct will save your life. However, in most cases, rushing decisions can lead to unforeseen consequences that are worse than what is being avoided.

Rosling points to deceiving data as a leading cause for activating this instinct.