this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2023
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Well I understand the impetus, but that's literally the definition of the head-in-the-sand idiom according to Merriam-Webster:
I'm not saying that we are unwilling to recognize a problem, the problem itself is greatly exaggerated, or even non-existent.
Alright, so you don't acknowledge the problem, still fits the definition.
Fair enough on most of those areas you mentioned by the way, wars, economical depression, and the pandemic have been exaggerated, with the serious caveat on the latter that that was unclear at the time so you had to err on the side of caution. But it's kind of the opposite with climate change IMHO. Scientists have kept to rather conservative projections so as to not cause panic and apathy in the general public, but over the last years new measurements have outpaced those predictions at practically every step of the way.
I'd hate for our discussion to be about semantics, but I'm saying that we don't believe in the problem. If I'd say "Hey, regarding the vampire situation, you have your head in the sand, because you won't acknowledge the problem", it wouldn't be an accurate statement, or correct usage of the phrase.
Semi-off-topic rant incoming, but hard disagree on this one. This is a really weird statement that is commonly used for the opposite of what it actually means (although not in this case). I don't enjoy syntactical discussion, e.g. whether I used the wrong sentence structure or whatever, as long as the meaning is clear. But discussion on "the meaning of words", i.e. their semantics, is absolutely necessary in many cases, here about whether we use the same definition of this idiom. You can't properly communicate without that, so if you don't discuss semantics where appropriate you are talking at each other instead of with each other, despite using the same language.
Case in point here, you are operating from your intuitive definition of the head-in-the-sand idiom which doesn't fit the situation at hand, I'm operating from the Merriam-Webster definition which does fit the situation at hand.
Just to be clear, I don't intend any judgement here, just saying it fits that one specific definition of this idiom, which is why I quoted it originally.
As stated in the grandparent of this comment I can agree with many of your examples, so I understand your revulsion of categorising your behaviour as sticking your head into the sand. But to people who recognise and acknowledge the problem, unlike you who recognises but doesn't acknowledge the problem, you are sticking your head into the sand.