This past week there has been a great deal of chatter about safety regulations and the concept of safety itself after a submersible on a paid 8 day adventure excursion imploded, killing all on board.
The late Stockton Rush, the owner of OceanGate and pilot of the submersible Titan is quoted as follows:
“At some point, safety just is pure waste. I mean, if you just want to be safe, don’t get out of bed, don’t get in your car. Don’t do anything. At some point, you’re going to take some risk, and it really is a risk/reward question. I think I can do this just as safely by breaking the rules.”
His observation about safety in general is true but his statement still misses the point.
Staying at home will not keep us absolutely safe. Nor will staying in bed.
There is no safety. It is an illusion we maintain to stay sane. Our very bodies can betray us at any time. We are on a ball of rock circling a much bigger ball of burning gas in a vast and pitiless expanse of space. If we really understood this we could not function.
But there is a huge gap between this existential realization and going about sticking knives in electric outlets and running red lights.
We all die in the end regardless of safety precautions. We all get hurt. The question is when and how. And when those variables are taken into account we have more control than it appears.
There is a very strong statistical correlation between taking reasonable precautions and avoiding a bad outcome. And when an individual or company or any system attempts to gloss this over I must ask why.
Yes, you can still get a fast moving cancer and die even if you eat the best food, exercise regularly, and have great insurance.
Yes, you can get T-boned by another driver even if you buckle up, don’t drive while impaired and follow all traffic rules.
Yes, the environment on this planet could have degraded even if humans had lived within natural limits.
Safety precautions do not guarantee safety. They are, however, the only tool we have to offset the intrinsic uncertainty of life on earth.
The taking of reasonable precautions used to be called prudence. It was considered a virtue. The opposite of a prudent person is not a care-free type living life to the fullest. Nor is it a manly sort who grabs life by the horns and prevails. Rather it is a just a fool.
And that was Mr.Rush’s logical fallacy.
Definitely agree. With the CEO's choices, it is not just hindsight, it is what people in his deep dive community have been telling him for years. Yes, most of us still stop at red lights, and with any luck, stop signs!
Completely agree with you. Before the pandemic, I felt safe in my city and in my home. I was cautious, however, observant, but unafraid. It is different now. I am under no illusions, but many people are. I'm still safe in my home for now, but random violent crime has engulfed my city and it seems to be everywhere. Every thug has a gun, every doper is looking to rob me. I'm more fearful now and pretty much stay home. It is simply a cautious choice to stay safer; I think my chances of becoming a random victim are high where I live, Memphis, Tennessee.