>[!abstract] >**Shattered assumptions theory**, developed by Ronnie Janoff-Bulman in 1992, posits that traumatic events destroy a person's core, taken-for-granted beliefs about the world being benevolent, meaningful, and safe. This cognitive disruption causes significant psychological distress, such as PTSD, as individuals struggle to reconcile their pre-trauma views with the new reality. >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): — >- **West** (similar): — >- **East** (different): — >- **South** (downstream): —