Instead of acting, we debate the level of the threat. Dissociation allows us to go on with our lives as if nothing at all were amiss. I know that I disbelieve, deny, and dissociate. I resent doomsayers and turn my wrath on those who make me feel guilty. Psychological defenses can help us to survive in the short run but in the long run they sap us of energy.
Constructive action becomes even more difficult.
This human tendency to feel helpless in the face of such a great loss is exactly the issue that Jesus is addressing in the passage from Luke. He is trying to give his followers a broader perspective so that they will not feel overwhelmed or alone. The time of difficulties is part of God's intentions, he tells his followers. Be discerning and do not be deceived by false prophets. Do not be frightened of persecution because persecution will offer you opportunities to bear witness.