Poetics, A Source for Learning in Safety – A Video

The idea of Poetics captures all forms of knowing that are non-measureable, non- quantitative, yet are essential to the experience of living. It is through a focus on Poetics that we get to the heart, soul and Mind of what it is to be a human person.

Poetics stands in opposition to all that we see expressed by risk and safety with the metaphor of cogs and brains (https://safetyrisk.net/its-all-in-the-cogs-for-safety/). SPoR has absolutely no interest in a mechanistic worldview of persons.

• Humans are NOT factors in a system.
• Humans are NOT computers on bodies.
• Humans are NOT the sum of inputs and outputs.

These are all safety myths that have no support in evidence or experience.

Human persons are fallible conscious-unconscious beings that make most decisions in the unconscious. 99% of all we do is non-rational and doesn’t involve brain-centric thinking. The brain doesn’t coordinate what we do, neither does it direct decision making. The brain hosts conversations between body systems that inform the brain about what has already been decided.

If you want to understand why people do what they do, then exploring Poetics and Transdisciplinarity is a good start.

If you think the brain is a computer and that mistakes are made through irrational thinking then, every response to error will be met with more training and a rational response. This is what safety does and, then wonders why responses don’t work.

Many times, things don’t work in safety because responses to decisions made in the unconscious are met with rational conscious approaches. 99% of all humans do NOT think in this space. Our habits, heuristics, rituals, movements, language and enactments are done without ‘thinking’. Most of what we do is through automaticity.

In traditional safety where we see semiotics of brains and cogs (eg. HOP and safety differently) there is little understanding of why people do what they do or how people learn. So often, when mistakes are made, the response is to send people back to the training they have already done!

In a Transdisciplinary approach where Poetics is a focus, we learn much more about why people do what they do. I discuss some of this in a recent video: https://vimeo.com/1117672116

• Bio
• Latest Posts
• More about Rob

Prof. Robert Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions

Latest posts by Prof. Robert Long (see all)

• Safety Beyond the Binaries - March 4, 2026
• Safety, A David and Goliath Myth or Safety Joke - February 27, 2026
• The 10 Behaviours of the Safety Sociopath - February 27, 2026
• The Whole Person and Safety - February 27, 2026
• Ready for PhD Studies? - February 24, 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.