January 19, 2012

Something wrong with this point..

It seems Captain Schettino panicked. Who's to say you wouldn't? | Bruce Hood | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk:

...Schettino will undoubtedly be vilified for his actions - but how many of us can say that we would not have done the same thing? Self-preservation is an instinct, much in the same way that your instincts tell you to put your hands out for protection when you let yourself fall backwards. In the face of impending danger, our brains can swing into reflexive defence mode, operating much faster and more automatically than when they recourse to calm, rational reasoning. Respond first and ask questions later, is the message, rather than place yourself in harm's way....

What this person misses is that there are unexpected disasters, and expected ones. "Expected" meaning that one can easily foresee the possibility. And therefore, think about it. Plan for it. Think through what you should do in the situation. Steel yourself.

An unexpected situation can panic anybody. But a ship's captain must surely have thought about the possibility of his ship sinking, and what his duty would then be. So he doesn't have the excuse of "instincts taking control."

Posted by John Weidner at January 19, 2012 7:09 PM
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