22/08/2015
You’ve Just Got To Love Safety!
What would happen if safety took over love?
Fun architectLove is perhaps our most important value. Safety is perhaps the most import thing we value. (see We Can Value Safety But Safety Is Not A Value). Despite our efforts, nobody can define, control or measure them – to do so indicates that we don’t appreciate or understand either. Not knowing (see I DONT KNOW), about love or safety, conjures up significant fears in many. Not knowing is particularly unacceptable to those in safety and so we create systems, rules, controls and measurements – the result is that something we value has become something that many now despise or laugh at.
We’ve been discussing lately the paradox of too much safety being unsafe, in reflecting on that I had a horrible thought – what if love became as contrived and controlling as safety?
Every time you met somebody new, before you could spend time with them, you would have to undergo an induction, delivered by somebody who hardly knew them, covering all of their values, goals, habits, likes, dislikes, allergies, fears etc etc – and there would be a quiz at the end.
The Act Of Love (2015) would have a whole new meaning. This would be enforced by Love Inspectors.
After some time of plateauing results, some may start to get that there are psychological and human factors involved in love!
In 1967 The Beatles would have released a hit song called “All You Need Is Safety”.
Instead of saying “I Love You” we would be required to say “I Will Never Hurt You”.
When we attend events and conferences, in addition to being told where the fire exits are, we would be given the names of some recommended Relationship Councillors and Family Law Firms.
We would have to put meaningless aphorisms all around our home saying things like: “Love is the No1 Priority”, “Zero Heartbreak”, “All Divorces are Preventable” and “Love Is A Choice You Make”.
Valentines Day would be every day!
We would have programs like Behavioural Based Love, Love Observations, Zero Hate, Take 1 – all available for download as an app.
Intimacy would require more than just one kind of PPE! – Gloves, hard hat, hi viz, hearing protection, eye protection, breathing apparatus (best end the list there!). Certain activities would, of course, require a permit.
Every new activity with your loved ones would require a risk assessment – generic ones can be downloaded.
There would be a very comprehensive SWMS or JSA for every stage of the relationship.
When watching your kids playing sport, words of encouragement would be banned – you must only yell: “Don’t get hurt!”
“Love factor” KPI’s for measurement of all aspects of the relationship would be required – “ELHT” – Expressions Of Love For Every Hour Together, “LTA” = Lost Time Arguments etc
Every heartbreaking moment would have to be thoroughly investigated to establish root cause, blame and punishment.
The Hierarchy of Love Controls could get interesting: Elimination, Substitution, Engineering Controls, Administrative and PPE
We would have to attend daily jewelry box talks, weekly love committee meetings and love would be the first agenda item at all family and social gatherings.
In addition to completion of a daily checklist, and regular expressions of love inspections, our relationships would be regularly audited by the Love Officer or the Zero Hate Manager.
Sighhhhh I sort of wish I hadn’t done that! Imagine what the “safety approach” would do to love? Obviously we would never do that to love so why has safety become so mechanized and dehumanized?
As long as we see this as an exercise to reflect on whether our traditional approach to safety is causing more harm than good, and for a bit of fun – feel free to share you own safety/love metaphors.
