HOP Robert Long Safety Slogans

Context Does NOT Drive Behaviour, Another False HOP Slogan

ByProf. Robert Long

There’s nothing quite like the power of seduction by slogan. We see this over and over as the lemmings repeat the five slogans of HOP as ‘principles’. The sad thing is, the opposite is the case. Yet, when ethics are of no importance to a cult, you can say black is white and the cult will follow.

 Just as we know blame fixes many things we also know that context does NOT drive behaviour. Such is the mis-truth of a slogan. All slogans mask propaganda and have no bearing on the idea of a principle that should capture a fundamental truth.

 The reality is, in the real non-HOP world, we know that belief and faith drive behaviour. Such is the traditionalist behaviourism captured in HOP. There is no new view in such a view. Safety has been anchored to the delusions of behaviourism for 50 years, there’s nothing new in upholding such delusion. So much for ‘doing safety differently’.

 Even a casual knowledge of culture, anthropology or religion will tell you that belief and faith drive behaviour. No wonder Safety leaves these three out when it looks at itself. Yet, so much of what safety presents is religious (https://safetyrisk.net/oh-my-god-its-safety/).

 When we observe the many rituals, methods, systems and processes of safety, we know these are driven by belief and faith in myths/semiotics. They are NOT driven by context. Yet another false slogan by HOP. What a con. More so, like all cons in safety, just follow the money. Who profits from safety myth making? Who profits by calling slogans ‘principles’?

 We know that rituals and behaviours are driven by belief and faith from even the slightest expertise in religious studies and theology. Indeed, faith and belief preceded context and make up a high proportion that explains why people do what they do. So, clearly this HOP slogan is not true. More so, it’s misleading, because it hides real causes of enactment and so even in investigations it drives Safety to look in the wrong place for cause. It is similar to the false belief of James Reason’s Swiss-Cheese that teaches Safety that human behaviour and systems are linear, when they are not.

 If you are interested in an ethical understanding in tackling risk you can start here: https://www.humandymensions.com/product/the-ethics-of-risk/

 Or an ethical approach to investigations here: https://www.humandymensions.com/product/seek-investigations-a-semiotic-method/

Prof. Robert Long

Prof. Robert Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions
Prof. Robert Long

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Prof. Robert Long
PhD., MEd., MOH., BEd., BTh., Dip T., Dip Min., Cert IV TAA, MRMIA Rob is the founder of Human Dymensions and has extensive experience, qualifications and expertise across a range of sectors including government, education, corporate, industry and community sectors over 30 years. Rob has worked at all levels of the education and training sector including serving on various post graduate executive, post graduate supervision, post graduate course design and implementation programs.

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