3 Lessons From A Sunken Ship

Mention a certain name, date, phrase or word and right away, everybody knows. JFK. September 11th. "Beware the Ides of March." Titanic. (See how that works?) It's that last reference (to the Titanic) that I want to talk about and offer three quick lessons from.

Of course, it was the ship that wouldn't/couldn't be sunk. Right? Titanic was built by the best engineers utilizing the best technology of their day. But even the best can blow it. (Lesson #1: Just when you think you won't make a mistake, that's when you will.)

Titanic set out on her maiden voyage on April 10th, 1912. There were 2,227 people aboard when the ship left England for New York City. But there was a problem. There were only enough lifeboats for just over half of the passengers. Oops. (Lesson #2: Just when you cut corners, that's when you'll wish you hadn't.)

The captain on Titanic was Edward J. Smith who committed a number of miscues that ultimately contributed to the sinking. Among them were the following: relying on his own eyes to spot potential danger, trying to set a speed record crossing the Atlantic and not slowing down in a dangerous situation. All were factors that led to the collision with an iceberg. (Lesson #3: Just when you set aside common sense, that's when disaster will strike.)

And so just to sum up the 3 lessons from the Titanic in a positive/call to action spin:

1. Be humble. ("Pride comes before a fall" is true for everybody.)
2. Prepare for emergencies completely. (Have enough lifeboats.)
3. Use your head. (Don't "check" your common sense in at the door.)

They're not just good lessons for ships.

(Above picture in the public domain: HERE. More information: HERE.)