ostrichism

(ˈɒstrɪtʃˌɪzəm)

the act of refusing to accept reality or hiding one's head in the sand

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ostrichism

- Self-delusion, a refusal to cope with something, such as a threat—figuratively hiding one's head in the sand, as the animal is mistakenly thought to do.

See also related terms for threat.

Mentioned in ?

threat

References in periodicals archive ?

Occupying the middle of the continuum, ostrichism can occur under the guise of several other approaches.

Teachers' stances on cell phones in the ESL classroom: toward a "theoretical" framework

She went to great lengths to distance herself from what was happening around her in the last year, not in ostrichism but rather in an attempt to find a peaceful state of mind from which she can create her latest work.

The time and place of Gazbia Sirry

NBW's old boards, which featured occasional stars like Clark Clifford and True Davis, were too detached from the bank's business, ignoring, for example, the union's more dubious deals done through the bank (see "Moral Ostrichism: Blindness on a Bank Board," John Rothchild, November 1970).

With friends like these, who needs loan officers? With a little greed and a lot of logrolling, D.C. powerbrokers like Brent Scowcroft and Thomas Boggs destroyed the National Bank of Washington