How Do You Want to Live?

This has been a week of funerals for me (and others) and they always anchor me to real life and being, fallibility, frailty and mortality.

I wrote recently about impermanence (https://safetyrisk.net/meditating-on-impermanence-in-risk/) based on the Poetics of George Harrison. It is always important in the world of risk and safety to remember How Fragile we Are (https://www.harmonyproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Fragile-Lyrics.pdf). It is also critical that we don’t get sucked into the myths of perfectionism that permeate safety discourse (https://safetyrisk.net/dont-die-safety-at-its-best/).

It bogles the imagination how Safety maintains the ideology of zero in the face of all its contradictions (https://www.humandymensions.com/product/zero-the-great-safety-delusion/). It blows my mind the absolute stupidity of seeking perfection from fallible humans and not know what to do about harm.

It seems only Safety can wander around the world amongst the realities of living, and deny fallibility (https://safetyrisk.net/wishing-away-fragility-and-fallibility-in-safety/).

One of the funerals was for a well-known radio host James Valentine who chose Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) at the end of this struggle with Cancer. (hmmm, I wonder how the zero harm zealots deal with that one?). You can see James talk about VAD here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qm-K4t3AaHk

One of the many eulogies offered for James was given by my brother Graham, who was the CEO of Wayside Chapel for many years. James Valentine and Graham used to meet on radio every week and talk about the realities of living fallibly in Sydney, life on the Wayside and Love over Hate. You can view this remarkable celebration of the life of James Valentine here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/sydney-afternoons/james-valentine-am-a-celebration-of-life/106738786

What an amazing service. So many wise words of wisdom from James’ Daughter Ruby, the Governor General, entertainers, comedians, GM of the ABC and others.

Towards the end of the service, that includes music from some of Australia’s great musical performers, there is this eulogy from James’s son Roy that goes for just 2 minutes. It is a must listen: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3166502976881917

If you do nothing else with your time this week, listen to these 2 minutes by Roy.

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Prof. Robert Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions

Latest posts by Prof. Robert Long (see all)

• Creating Safety Beliefs for Markets, Products to Sell and Incremental Safety - June 6, 2026
• The Evolution of Safety Beliefs and Rhetoric - June 6, 2026
• The Ethics of Safety Beliefs and Cognitive Dissonance - June 4, 2026
• The Semiotics of Safety Beliefs – Free Workshop July - June 4, 2026
• In Praise of HOP Blame Shifting in Safety - June 4, 2026

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.