• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SafetyRisk.net

Humanising Safety and Embracing Real Risk

  • Home
    • About
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact
  • FREE
    • Slogans
      • Researchers Reveal the Top 10 Most Effective Safety Slogans Of All Time
      • When Slogans Don’t Work
      • CLASSIC, FAMOUS and INFAMOUS SAFETY QUOTES
      • 500 OF THE BEST AND WORST WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
      • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
      • COVID-19 (Coronavirus, Omicron) Health and Safety Slogans and Quotes for the Workplace
      • Safety Acronyms
      • You know Where You Can Stick Your Safety Slogans
      • Sayings, Slogans, Aphorisms and the Discourse of Simple
      • Spanish Safety Slogans – Consignas de seguridad
      • Safety Slogans List
      • Road Safety Slogans 2023
      • How to write your own safety slogans
      • Why Are Safety Slogans Important
      • Safety Slogans Don’t Save Lives
      • 40 Free Safety Slogans For the Workplace
      • Safety Slogans for Work
    • FREE SAFETY eBOOKS
    • Free Hotel and Resort Risk Management Checklist
    • FREE DOWNLOADS
    • TOP 50
    • FREE RISK ASSESSMENT FORMS
    • Find a Safety Consultant
    • Free Safety Program Documents
    • Psychology Of Safety
    • Safety Ideas That Work
    • HEALTH and SAFETY MANUALS
    • FREE SAFE WORK METHOD STATEMENT RESOURCES
    • Whats New In Safety
    • FUN SAFETY STUFF
    • Health and Safety Training
    • SAFETY COURSES
    • Safety Training Needs Analysis and Matrix
    • Top 20 Safety Books
    • This Toaster Is Hot
    • Free Covid-19 Toolbox Talks
    • Download Page – Please Be Patient With Larger Files…….
    • SAFETY IMAGES, Photos, Unsafe Pictures and Funny Fails
    • How to Calculate TRIFR, LTIFR and Other Health and Safety Indicators
    • Download Safety Moments from Human Resources Secretariat
  • Social Psychology Of Risk
    • What is Psychological Health and Safety at Work?
    • Safety Psychology Terminology
    • Some Basics on Social Psychology & Risk
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk – Prof Karl E. Weick
    • The Psychology of Leadership in Risk
    • Conducting a Psychology and Culture Safety Walk
    • The Psychology of Conversion – 20 Tips to get Started
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk And Safety
    • Psychology and safety
    • The Psychology of Safety
    • Hot Toaster
    • TALKING RISK VIDEOS
    • WHAT IS SAFETY
    • THE HOT TOASTER
    • THE ZERO HARM DEBATE
    • SEMIOTICS
    • LEADERSHIP
  • Dr Long Posts
    • ALL POSTS
    • Learning Styles Matter
    • There is no Hierarchy of Controls
    • Scaffolding, Readiness and ZPD in Learning
    • What Can Safety Learn From Playschool?
    • Presentation Tips for Safety People
    • Dialogue Do’s and Don’ts
    • It’s Only a Symbol
    • Ten Cautions About Safety Checklists
    • Zero is Unethical
    • First Report on Zero Survey
    • There is No Objectivity, Deal With it!
  • THEMES
    • Psychosocial Safety
    • Resiliencing
    • Risk Myths
    • Safety Myths
    • Safety Culture Silences
    • Safety Culture
    • Psychological Health and Safety
    • Zero Harm
    • Due Diligence
  • Free Learning
    • Introduction to SPoR – Free
    • FREE RISK and SAFETY EBOOKS
    • FREE ebook – Guidance for the beginning OHS professional
    • Free EBook – Effective Safety Management Systems
    • Free EBook – Lessons I Have Learnt
  • Psychosocial Safety
    • What is Psychosocial Safety
    • Psychological Safety
      • What is Psychological Health and Safety at Work?
      • Managing psychosocial hazards at work
      • Psychological Safety – has it become the next Maslow’s hammer?
      • What is Psychosocial Safety
      • Psychological Safety Slogans and Quotes
      • What is Psychological Safety?
      • Understanding Psychological Terminology
      • Psycho-Social and Socio-Psychological, What’s the Difference?
      • Build a Psychologically Safe Workplace by Taking Risks and Analysing Failures
      • It’s not weird – it’s a psychological safety initiative!
You are here: Home / Compliance / Risk and Safety Starts with Being?

Risk and Safety Starts with Being?

February 6, 2017 by Dr Rob Long Leave a Comment

********If you are interested in knowing more about the Social Psychology of Risk then a one-off workshop is available this week in Sydney: http://cllr.com.au/product/an-introduction-to-the-social-psychology-of-risk-unit-1/******

Risk and Safety Starts with Being?

The key to sensemaking is not the question why but the question who. The question why looks for reasons, the question what looks for objects, the question where looks for space and place, the question when looks at time, the question how looks for method but, the question who searches for being. The question who is a question about relationships, identity, being, i-thou, meaning, purpose, ontology, ideology and trajectory. Once we can sort out the who question, all the other questions make more sense.

The test of any ethic or value is its trajectory over time and its effect on humans and communities. One can present a great case for the national well being and end up with a trajectory that exterminates millions of people, we all know the Nazi story. The idea that the Nazis were evil megolamanics and psychopaths, is simply not supported by the evidence. The work of many social psychologists like Milgram, Zimbardo, Meissner, Adorno, Hoffer and Plous show that we are all capable of inflicting suffering on others in the right circumstances for the best of motives.

Whilst its important to ask why things are the way they are it is much more important to ask questions of being, identity, assumption, ideology and purpose. Questions of being always precede questions about actions – what, where, when, why and how. It’s not really asking or knowing why that matters most, although all these questions matter. It is knowing who one is and who one is in relation to others that forms the very foundations of being and subsequently decision making and behaviours.

Perhaps the best illustration of the importance of understanding being is the challenge of Cognitive Dissonance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance ). The reason why Cognitive Dissonance is so powerful is because it brings to the surface the hidden assumptions in identity and being. The pain and stressors of Cognitive Dissonance bring to the surface the very ethical and ideological conflict that uncover hidden assumptions and unconscious values. This video about the Cognitive Dissonance Cycle might help: https://vimeo.com/202589604

Cognitive Didssonance from Human Dymensions on Vimeo.

Contrary to simplistic descriptions, Cognitive Dissonance is much more than a sense of discomfort about ideas. Cognitive dissonance is about more than contradiction but is about being in critical ideological and identity stress (pain) with oneself and with one’s in-group (family, church, peers, extended family etc). The reason why Festinger (https://archive.org/details/pdfy-eDNpDzTy_dR1b0iB) studied cults was because of the powerful bond and crisis of breaking bonds in belonging, identity and ideology associated with ‘being’ in cults.

Converting into a cult or leaving a cult is a most painful and sacrificial experience. One doesn’t just enter a cult-ure on the whim of an idea nor give up and convert out of an idea like changing snack foods or making a menu choice. So, it helps to understand the power of the Cognitive Dissonance cycle and the complexity of dynamics that holds people to irrational, arational and non-rational beliefs, even the belief in zero harm. Just look at the following contradiction: Life is random, people are fallible, zero is achievable??? Now at this stage this is just a conflict in ideas but, to give up the associated ideology could result in losing one’s job, falling out of the in-group or worse. So, in comes Cognitive Dissonance to quell the associated pain and so, all kinds of reasons are found to make sense of the contradiction.

Inflicting pain and suffering on others is often done in the name of good eg. ‘you are only being dismissed because you are a safety threat to others’, ‘you chose un-safety and so must go’, ‘safety is our number one priority, so there’s the door’. When such is the case, ideas and principles are often prioritized over people with the aid of binary opposition. With the help of black and white thinking, it is easy to inflict suffering (psychological, social and economic harm) on others in the name of ‘zero harm’. When human error is the problem and mistakes can’t be tolerated, when the workplace is framed in absolutes and perfectionist goals, there will always be ‘collateral damage’ in the name of good. It is simply absurd to suggest that there can be kindness in safety when the goal and language is absolute and intolerant (https://sm.britsafe.org/power-kindness)

When we start with an understanding of being we enter into the foundations of belief and faith that comprise the motivations and drive for what people do. (After all risk is essentially an act of faith for an expected outcome). A perfectionist ideology and discourse must always lead to a trajectory of bullying, victimization and control. A perfectionist ideology in a fallible world with fallible people sets a trajectory for schizophrenia and Cognitive Dissonance. Somehow the injuries, mistakes, errors, statistics, slips, hiccups and harm must be explained away because, it can never go away, it can never be achieved. Yet, the believers must hold to the ideology, despite the evidence. This is because of the fear of fatalism, the binary trap (how many people do you want harmed today?) and the foundational identity in safety as the absence of harm. So set a goal for zero harm then make sure you count all the times you don’t achieve it, that’s makes sense? Not.

Figure 1. Understanding Cognitive Dissonance

cognitive dissonance

Unfortunately, the ‘being’ associated with perfectionist beliefs cannot be sustained. The language of perfectionism and perfectionist goals (https://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~tlc10/bio/TLC_articles/2011/Ferguson_Moore_Chartrand_2011.pdf) is founded not just on the desire for absolutes but an implicit belief in infallibility. Setting lower order goals (zero harm and counting) shapes the very way humans interact with each other (see further Moscowitz – The Psychology of Goals), goals are not neutral but embed an ideology (a being) and most people in zero harm readily admit that it is an ideology. Such an ideology can only lead to brutalism founded in the vice of intolerance. There can be no in-between, no grey, safety is absolute against all other competing values. This is the discourse, this is the language.

Of course there is a ‘third way’, and many other ways to understand risk and safety. Juggling the nature of a wicked problem is indeed liberating and opens up new ways and more human ways (and tools) to ‘actualize’ risk. This new way of understanding risk opens up a host of new methods and strategies in tackling risk. The beginning is understanding risk and safety through a social psychological lens.

If you are interested in knowing more about the Social Psychology of Risk then a one-off workshop is available this week in Sydney: http://cllr.com.au/product/an-introduction-to-the-social-psychology-of-risk-unit-1/

  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
  • More about Rob
Dr Rob Long

Dr Rob Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions
Dr Rob Long

Latest posts by Dr Rob Long (see all)

  • When Safety Delights in ‘I Told You So’! - May 24, 2023
  • Beware the Cult of Denial - May 23, 2023
  • Understanding Safety as a Cultural Reproductive Process - May 23, 2023
  • Thinking Outside the Safety Bubble - May 21, 2023
  • Understanding Language Influencing, A Video - May 21, 2023
Dr Rob 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.

Please share our posts

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Compliance, Robert Long, Social Psychology of Risk Tagged With: cognitive dissonance

Reader Interactions

Do you have any thoughts? Please share them below Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Search and Discover More on this Site

Never miss a post - Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,522 other subscribers

Recent Comments

  • Rob Long on It is NOT My Responsibility to Keep You Safe
  • Chris. on It is NOT My Responsibility to Keep You Safe
  • Pierre Joubert on Zero Doesn’t Work, Road Fatalities Increase
  • James on We are all equal
  • Rob Long on We are all equal
  • James Parkinson on We are all equal
  • Brent Charlton on What Does Safety Achieve?
  • Admin on We are all equal
  • James Parkinson on We are all equal
  • Rob Long on What Does Safety Achieve?
  • Brent Charlton on We are all equal
  • Brent Charlton on We are all equal
  • Brent Charlton on We are all equal
  • Brent Charlton on What Does Safety Achieve?
  • Simon Cassin on You Can Fool Someone Some of the Time but, You Can Fool Safety All of the Time
  • Simon Cassin on You Can Fool Someone Some of the Time but, You Can Fool Safety All of the Time
  • Rob Long on You Can Fool Someone Some of the Time but, You Can Fool Safety All of the Time
  • Rob Long on You Can Fool Someone Some of the Time but, You Can Fool Safety All of the Time
  • Rob Long on You Can Fool Someone Some of the Time but, You Can Fool Safety All of the Time
  • Rob Long on You Can Fool Someone Some of the Time but, You Can Fool Safety All of the Time

RECOMMENDED READING

viral post – iso 45003 and what it cannot do

Introduction to SPOR – FREE!!

Psychosocial Safety and Mental Health Series

It is NOT My Responsibility to Keep You Safe

The KISS of Death in Safety

Is Your Safety World Too Small?

You Can Fool Someone Some of the Time but, You Can Fool Safety All of the Time

When Safety (Zero) is Abusive

Hands Up the Best Safety Fraud!

Communicating Professionally in Risk

How NOT to be Professional in Safety

How NOT to do Anything About Culture in Building and Construction

Celebrating 60 Years of Lifeline

More Posts from this Category

NEW! Free Download

Please take our 2 minute zero survey

FREE eBOOK DOWNLOADS

Footer

VIRAL POST – The Risk Matrix Myth

Top Posts & Pages. Sad that most are so dumb but this is what safety luves

  • Free Safety Moments and Toolbox Talk Examples, Tips and Resources
  • 500 OF THE BEST AND WORST WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
  • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
  • Ratio Delusions and Heinrich’s Hoax
  • How to Calculate TRIFR, LTIFR and Other Health and Safety Indicators
  • Road Safety Slogans 2023
  • FREE RISK ASSESSMENT FORMS, CHECKISTS, REGISTERS, TEMPLATES and APPS
  • Safety Acronyms
  • 15 Safety Precautions When Working With Electricity
  • What Is Safety?

Recent Posts

  • When Safety Delights in ‘I Told You So’!
  • Beware the Cult of Denial
  • My Story is Better than Yours
  • Understanding Safety as a Cultural Reproductive Process
  • The Unconscious and the Soap Dispenser
  • Thinking Outside the Safety Bubble
  • Understanding Language Influencing, A Video
  • Safetie
  • You are NOT the Sum of Safety
  • Update on SPoR in India, Brazil and Europe
  • It is NOT My Responsibility to Keep You Safe
  • Safety at the Margins
  • Research Basics for Safety
  • We Need Communities and They Need Us
  • Researching Within The Safety Echo Chamber
  • Confirmation Bias, Risk and Being Offensive
  • Lemmings for Lemmings in Leadership and Risk
  • Expertise by Regurgitation and Re-Badging
  • Zero Doesn’t Work, Road Fatalities Increase
  • Can There Be Other Valid Worldviews Than Safety?
  • Evaluating Value by the Value of What You Don’t Know
  • Reality vs Theory, The Binary Divide
  • No Paradigm Shift with BBS
  • The KISS of Death in Safety
  • Is Your Safety World Too Small?
  • What Does Safety Achieve?
  • In Praise of Balance in Risk and the Threat of Extremism
  • We are all equal
  • You Can Fool Someone Some of the Time but, You Can Fool Safety All of the Time
  • What in the (Risk & Safety) World is Imagination?
  • iCue Engagement Process
  • SPoR, Metanoia and a Podcast on Change with Nippin Anand
  • For the Monarchists of Safety
  • The Sully Effect
  • All Things Must Pass in Risk
  • Scapegoating and Safety
  • Understanding Habit, Habituation and Change
  • Don’t Mention the War
  • Safety in Design for Who by Who?
  • Beyond ‘What We Do Around Here’
  • Asking the Wrong Questions
  • When Safety (Zero) is Abusive
  • Mandala as a Method for Tackling an Ethic of Risk (a Video)
  • Safety Cosmetics
  • Visualising the EHS Role
  • Towards Dumb
  • Workshops with Dr Long – Vienna, Austria 26-30 June 2023
  • Visual, Verbal and Relational Mapping in Risk Assessment
  • Abduction in Risk and Safety
  • Creating Myths and Rituals in Safety

VIRAL POST!!! HOW TO QUIT THE SAFETY INDUSTRY

FEATURED POSTS

What Can Safety Learn from Barbie

Holistic Well Being in Risk Differently

Right and Wrong in Safety

Safety Justifies Anything and Everything

When the Target Drives the Method

What Can Safety Learn From Playschool?

The Disembodied Human and Persons in Safety

Sense-Making and Decision-Making in Risk

Safety as Ritual Performance

I’m Not Playing Any More

The Last Thing is, Don’t Start with Safety

Talking Risk Video–Anti-Fragility

Overcoming Safety Indoctrination

Like a Collective Brain Snap

Understanding Habit, Habituation and Change

Due Diligence and Holistic Ergonomics Workshops

The Religion of Safety

Human Factors is Never About Humans

Sergeant Safety

A Culture of Care (and sackings…)

Post Graduate Safety Potato Heads

Safety Investigation – Whodunit?

Confirmity in Conformity

The Repression of Uncertainty

Living In Glass Houses

Is Safetyism Destroying a Generation?

Real Risk for Real Life

Fear of Being-in-the-World

Free Poster–What is Safety

Introduction to The Social Psychology of Risk – Free Online Module

Safety-1, Safety-2, Safety-3

I’ve got a feeling this isn’t right, but…..

Zero as Morally Wicked

New Video Series on Safety

Blind Faith in Safety

Study The Psychology of Risk

Subjecting and Objecting About Risk

The Sacred Bra Tree

Human Dymensions Newsletter–Feb 14

Suicide Prevention – a Social Psychological Perspective

More Posts from this Category

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,522 other subscribers

How we pay for the high cost of running of this site – try it for free on your site

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY?

What is Psychological Safety at Work?


WHAT IS PSYCHOSOCIAL SAFETY

x
x