ostrichism

The story

From ostrich + -ism. The ostrich is often erroneously believed to bury its head in the sand to hide from predators.

First known use, by meaning

• from mid 19th c. The act of hiding, often unsuccessfully, by ducking one's head out of view.
• from mid 19th c. A policy of burying one's head in the sand, that is, ignoring the reality of a situation.