I've professionally designed industrial safety systems, and ironically the ISO safety standards themselves require you to consider "reasonably foreseeable misuse" based on predictable human behavior. They consider "motivation to defeat" safeguards to be that predictable human behavior that you have to design around. Maybe ISO should add info about the SSH...
The attitude of "I am an expert one one thing, therefore I'm an expert on everything" is particularly strong among engineers. I guess that makes sense. Engineers are top-tier Deltas. It's rather infuriating though. OK, Mr. Engineer, your opinion about soil mechanics is better than mine because you're a PE. I will defer to your judgment on that subject; but I will not defer to your judgment on politics, or schooling, or entertainment, of social policy or foreign affairs.
Relevant to belief number 2, the delta heavy electrical trade has a saying about installing new equipment. "Take out the instructions and throw them away. Then remember where you threw them." You will come to find that the instructions always apply to you.
This is so familiar; a man was killed on site (~30 years ago). I never knew him (happened not long before I started the job) nor do I know your system, so don't know if he would be classified "delta". But I did read the report on his death. Turns out this 'expert' had ignored the warning signs (literally, signage), did his own thing, was killed because of it. Management were not happy. Benefit for us graduates? I for one have never forgotten. All staff under my control always went home. Sometimes not happy, but they always went home.
My biggest regret in life was working on the job with experienced Delta's who weren't following their policy and procedures. Trusting that they knew what they were doing, and watching them screw up and kill someone. They had credentials and training and experience and the "Just-do-it-my-way" charisma to get everyone around them hurt. Because Health Care workers can be trusted.
I was part of a team gutting houses after Hurricane Katrina, and spent several weeks there doing some very nasty work.
One of the guidelines that the relief agencies gave the workers was “do not touch the refrigerators.” The reason was, they had filled with flood water and baked in the heat for months, full of rotten food and bayou sludge. Cracking that seal would release an ooze that smelled bad enough to make a person retch uncontrollably.
There were no issues for many, many houses. But one day we were clearing one where the fridge had fallen over and blocked a crucial walkway, causing workers to have to squeeze through a very narrow space, often with sharp or dangerous debris in their hands. I watched this for hours, and then figured I’d be a hero.
I reasoned that we really only needed six more inches of clearance to address the issue, so I very gently nudged the fridge over to the side….at which time the door snagged on a nail I didn’t see, fell open, and released a miasma of filth all over the entryway to the house. It was horrifying, not just spoiled food but some dead rat babies to boot.
Well, my team wasn’t thrilled. We all went outside to escape the smell and get some water, and no one was keen on speaking to me other than four letter words. We decided to have early lunch hoping that the smell would go away.
About this time, our liaison from the relief agency came by, saw us sitting out in the street, and asked what was wrong. I spoke up and said “some stupid arrogant asshole thought he knew better and moved the fridge. We’re letting it air for awhile.” Owning up to the mistake smoothed things over with my team, but that was a learning experience for me for sure.
A Delta buddy was helping me with my car. He's a mechanic, and very good at it.
He noticed that one of my calipers had partially seized. We inspected the pads, and they were essentially shot. Stores had closed for the night, so we put the tire back on, and he instructed me to buy the parts and change them myself (I was leaving on a long road trip)
I have tire locks on my truck. I bought the ones he recommended; they were pricey. He instructed me - several times - to never misplace the key. Regaled me with horror stories of the crap he had to go through to get the wheels off of cars whose owners had lost the keys.
So, first thing next morning, I drive to the store to buy pads and rotors, and try to change my brakes. Except, I can't find the wheel key.
I looked for it everywhere; I was thorough. Nada. So I call him; I didn't want to be accusatory, but he'd been the one hanging on to it. I thought maybe he'd forgotten it in his pocket.
After he sent me on several goose chases, looking in places I'd already checked, he finally - sheepishly - admits that in their shop, when working on cars, they leave the key sitting on the tire while they step away, and that he'd probably done just that
When I'd driven off to the store that morning, the key had gone bouncing off into foot deep melting snow, mud, and slush, never to be seen again.
I was so angry I hung up the phone.
Keeping track of the key, and taking great care in where you leave it is only a rule that us non-mechanic noobs have to follow, you see. The great master mechanic doesn't have to be nearly as careful.
"When my husband used to work in aerospace one of the guys lost his hands because someone didn't think the lock out/tag out process applied to him and re-engaged the power on a machine while the tech was still elbows-deep in it"
Time to make "Shake Hands With Danger" compulsory viewing. Again.
Vox, you've mentioned that the lower ranks as well as Sigmas tend to be narcissistic. Is there a difference between the types of narcissism usually possessed by these ranks and/or in the way that narcissism expresses itself in their behavior? If so, what are the main differences?
I've professionally designed industrial safety systems, and ironically the ISO safety standards themselves require you to consider "reasonably foreseeable misuse" based on predictable human behavior. They consider "motivation to defeat" safeguards to be that predictable human behavior that you have to design around. Maybe ISO should add info about the SSH...
Man is finite and mortal. We must remember that always. Each in our own ways we are strong and weak in each of what we can do in different ways.
Alphas don't know the details like Deltas can. Deltas don't know the big picture like Alphas can. Etc.
Chesterton's fence is broadly applicable
The various behaviours described are evil manifest. And it is why we see more of it in the lower ranks because envy and malice are key drivers.
There is no such thing as "mental health". Mental ill health is the hate turned inward. Its what made Gollum a husk of a man.
We are in a period where evil has been drawn to the surface, like worms after the earth is salted.
And this evil cannot face the truth which is why there is so much self-fiction.
Without God we are doomed to this process. Because nobody will feel special enough otherwise. Our sinful part predatory selves desire more and more.
This is one of the blessings about not being super handy, you know your bounds and your limits, & generally stay in your lane.
The attitude of "I am an expert one one thing, therefore I'm an expert on everything" is particularly strong among engineers. I guess that makes sense. Engineers are top-tier Deltas. It's rather infuriating though. OK, Mr. Engineer, your opinion about soil mechanics is better than mine because you're a PE. I will defer to your judgment on that subject; but I will not defer to your judgment on politics, or schooling, or entertainment, of social policy or foreign affairs.
Relevant to belief number 2, the delta heavy electrical trade has a saying about installing new equipment. "Take out the instructions and throw them away. Then remember where you threw them." You will come to find that the instructions always apply to you.
This is so familiar; a man was killed on site (~30 years ago). I never knew him (happened not long before I started the job) nor do I know your system, so don't know if he would be classified "delta". But I did read the report on his death. Turns out this 'expert' had ignored the warning signs (literally, signage), did his own thing, was killed because of it. Management were not happy. Benefit for us graduates? I for one have never forgotten. All staff under my control always went home. Sometimes not happy, but they always went home.
If anything, leave things alone for your own sake.
A lot of people who could get promotions at work don't get them because they try to hard to get them, being the overly eager omnipresent helpers.
Everyone's a bloody rebel: "Rules don't apply to me, I'm a rebel."
My biggest regret in life was working on the job with experienced Delta's who weren't following their policy and procedures. Trusting that they knew what they were doing, and watching them screw up and kill someone. They had credentials and training and experience and the "Just-do-it-my-way" charisma to get everyone around them hurt. Because Health Care workers can be trusted.
Like COVID vaccines. Trust the science, bro.
I was part of a team gutting houses after Hurricane Katrina, and spent several weeks there doing some very nasty work.
One of the guidelines that the relief agencies gave the workers was “do not touch the refrigerators.” The reason was, they had filled with flood water and baked in the heat for months, full of rotten food and bayou sludge. Cracking that seal would release an ooze that smelled bad enough to make a person retch uncontrollably.
There were no issues for many, many houses. But one day we were clearing one where the fridge had fallen over and blocked a crucial walkway, causing workers to have to squeeze through a very narrow space, often with sharp or dangerous debris in their hands. I watched this for hours, and then figured I’d be a hero.
I reasoned that we really only needed six more inches of clearance to address the issue, so I very gently nudged the fridge over to the side….at which time the door snagged on a nail I didn’t see, fell open, and released a miasma of filth all over the entryway to the house. It was horrifying, not just spoiled food but some dead rat babies to boot.
Well, my team wasn’t thrilled. We all went outside to escape the smell and get some water, and no one was keen on speaking to me other than four letter words. We decided to have early lunch hoping that the smell would go away.
About this time, our liaison from the relief agency came by, saw us sitting out in the street, and asked what was wrong. I spoke up and said “some stupid arrogant asshole thought he knew better and moved the fridge. We’re letting it air for awhile.” Owning up to the mistake smoothed things over with my team, but that was a learning experience for me for sure.
This ability to admit mistake is one reason why we like Deltas c:
A Delta buddy was helping me with my car. He's a mechanic, and very good at it.
He noticed that one of my calipers had partially seized. We inspected the pads, and they were essentially shot. Stores had closed for the night, so we put the tire back on, and he instructed me to buy the parts and change them myself (I was leaving on a long road trip)
I have tire locks on my truck. I bought the ones he recommended; they were pricey. He instructed me - several times - to never misplace the key. Regaled me with horror stories of the crap he had to go through to get the wheels off of cars whose owners had lost the keys.
So, first thing next morning, I drive to the store to buy pads and rotors, and try to change my brakes. Except, I can't find the wheel key.
I looked for it everywhere; I was thorough. Nada. So I call him; I didn't want to be accusatory, but he'd been the one hanging on to it. I thought maybe he'd forgotten it in his pocket.
After he sent me on several goose chases, looking in places I'd already checked, he finally - sheepishly - admits that in their shop, when working on cars, they leave the key sitting on the tire while they step away, and that he'd probably done just that
When I'd driven off to the store that morning, the key had gone bouncing off into foot deep melting snow, mud, and slush, never to be seen again.
I was so angry I hung up the phone.
Keeping track of the key, and taking great care in where you leave it is only a rule that us non-mechanic noobs have to follow, you see. The great master mechanic doesn't have to be nearly as careful.
Vox, thanks for keeping this blog going. The last few days have been very informative for low status guys like me.
"When my husband used to work in aerospace one of the guys lost his hands because someone didn't think the lock out/tag out process applied to him and re-engaged the power on a machine while the tech was still elbows-deep in it"
Time to make "Shake Hands With Danger" compulsory viewing. Again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr88--EjaF0
Vox, you've mentioned that the lower ranks as well as Sigmas tend to be narcissistic. Is there a difference between the types of narcissism usually possessed by these ranks and/or in the way that narcissism expresses itself in their behavior? If so, what are the main differences?