Research conducted by researchers at the University of Gothenburg shows that people tend to rate their own risk of being affected by climate change as lower than that of others. This perception may reduce individuals' willingness to act and slow down necessary climate measures.
I think it’s a bit of a “head in sand” thing too. You don’t want to believe that your home or livelihood could be destroyed, or that you or your loved ones could die, in a disaster, and/or you don’t want to take drastic actions out of fear, apathy, or feeling powerless to make any meaningful change.