Safety is the Wrong Anchor

Safety is the Wrong Anchor

We are all shaped by starting points, what Jung called Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions (SDICs). SDIC is sometimes known as the ‘butterfly effect’. This is the idea central to Chaos Theory that a simple starting point can lead to wickedity. Foundational to SDIC is that humans cannot predict the effect of actions, reactions and bifurifications (the dynamics of exponential splitting). All symbols work in this way. For example, commencing with something quite simple like the symbol of zero and ending up with a culture of dominance, bullying, dehumanising and totalitarian rule.

The trouble with SDICs is anchoring and sunk cost. Once one is anchored to zero, there is little likelihood of recanting despite the chaos created. Of course, essential to the defence of zero is the spin that the symbol is only an aspiration, a word or a goal. It is essential to the zero ideology that semiotics is denied. It is critical once one is anchored to the reductionism and numerics of zero that the trajectory of object-love be denied.

We all observed yet again this Olympics the outcome of the love of gold. Once again we learn about the love of medals not persons. The schisms and conflict have begun where groups attack groups under the archetype of the hero and the trickster. Once one is anchored to gold the trajectory must crush and project chaos to all in its wake. The very best that could be drawn out of what it is to be human is fragmented by the ideology of the superhuman. The love of the absolute and perfection will always result in the dehumanisation of people. This us the discourse of zero.

And so we come to the anchor of Safety, the anchoring to the archetype that in trajectory diminishes itself. When the SDIC is safety then the outcome will not be safety but the mechanics of safety. When the anchor is the mechanics of safety there will be no care or humanisation of the subject. Only the counting and calculative framing of the object can remain.

We ought to challenge this anchor, the starting point for safety ought not be safety but rather the anchor of care and humanising. The right SDIC anchor point is the key and perhaps why safety people should not be into safety anymore.

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Dr Rob Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions

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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.