Scientists studied how people think about climate change dangers like floods, heat waves, and storms. They looked at 59 different studies that included over 70,000 people from 17 countries around the world.
The main finding: Most people think climate change will hurt others more than it will hurt them. Out of 83 groups studied, 81 showed this pattern. On average, more than 68 out of 100 people believed they were safer than others.
This belief was strongest when people compared themselves to "all humans everywhere" instead of their neighbors or people in their own country. People living in places that already face serious climate dangers, like many Asian countries, showed this less than people in safer places like Europe.
The researchers tested two types of risks: general climate change and specific weather events like hurricanes. Both showed the same pattern—people thought others would be hurt more than themselves.
This matters because if people don't think climate change will affect them personally, they might not prepare or take action to stay safe.