Malcolm Gladwell
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
He's concerned about Floyd's safety, but he undercuts that concern with words that soften his alarm. I just worry about excited delirium or whatever. And then finally, after Chauvin shuts him down, okay, I suppose. Passive-aggressive agreement. Sociologists call this mitigated speech. One of the greatest causes of plane crashes for years was mitigated speech in a cockpit.
He's concerned about Floyd's safety, but he undercuts that concern with words that soften his alarm. I just worry about excited delirium or whatever. And then finally, after Chauvin shuts him down, okay, I suppose. Passive-aggressive agreement. Sociologists call this mitigated speech. One of the greatest causes of plane crashes for years was mitigated speech in a cockpit.
The first officer would see something dangerous and try to let the captain know, but he would do it in such a mitigated way that the captain wouldn't take the new information seriously. I wrote about one of those cases in my book, Outliers. It involved a 1982 Air Florida flight out of Washington, D.C., It was a snowy day. The plane had been in line for takeoff for an unusually long time.
The first officer would see something dangerous and try to let the captain know, but he would do it in such a mitigated way that the captain wouldn't take the new information seriously. I wrote about one of those cases in my book, Outliers. It involved a 1982 Air Florida flight out of Washington, D.C., It was a snowy day. The plane had been in line for takeoff for an unusually long time.
And the first officer thinks the plane has a dangerous amount of ice on its wings and should go back for de-icing. Listen to how he tries to convince his superior officer, the captain. Look how the ice is just hanging on this back back there. See that? The captain says nothing. The first officer tries again. See all those icicles on the back there and everything? The captain ignores him.
And the first officer thinks the plane has a dangerous amount of ice on its wings and should go back for de-icing. Listen to how he tries to convince his superior officer, the captain. Look how the ice is just hanging on this back back there. See that? The captain says nothing. The first officer tries again. See all those icicles on the back there and everything? The captain ignores him.
The first officer tries a third time. Boy, this is a losing battle here, trying to de-ice those things. Gives you a false sense of security. That's all that does. Nothing. The plane is inching to the front of the line. Let's check those wingtops again, since we've been sitting here a while. The first officer starts with a hint. Look at that ice. Then a question. See those icicles?
The first officer tries a third time. Boy, this is a losing battle here, trying to de-ice those things. Gives you a false sense of security. That's all that does. Nothing. The plane is inching to the front of the line. Let's check those wingtops again, since we've been sitting here a while. The first officer starts with a hint. Look at that ice. Then a question. See those icicles?
Then a suggestion. Let's check those wingtops. Each time, he's removing one layer of mitigation, getting closer and closer to what is really on his mind, which is that he's terrified. But only at the very end does he finally get there. It's just after takeoff, as the plane plunges into the Potomac. We're going down, Larry. And the captain says, I know it.
Then a suggestion. Let's check those wingtops. Each time, he's removing one layer of mitigation, getting closer and closer to what is really on his mind, which is that he's terrified. But only at the very end does he finally get there. It's just after takeoff, as the plane plunges into the Potomac. We're going down, Larry. And the captain says, I know it.
Thomas Lane is in exactly the same position as that first officer on the plane. Both of them understand the gravity of the situation they're in. The plane has ice. The man on the ground is in trouble. But they have a superior who is fixated, who doesn't see what is happening, who is either incapable of processing any new information or doesn't want to.
Thomas Lane is in exactly the same position as that first officer on the plane. Both of them understand the gravity of the situation they're in. The plane has ice. The man on the ground is in trouble. But they have a superior who is fixated, who doesn't see what is happening, who is either incapable of processing any new information or doesn't want to.
And neither of the subordinates feel they can just come out and say, no, because they're subordinates. The state investigator questioning Lane about what happened that Memorial Day picked up on this very thing.
And neither of the subordinates feel they can just come out and say, no, because they're subordinates. The state investigator questioning Lane about what happened that Memorial Day picked up on this very thing.
Lane had been a police officer for four days. Then he reveals another crucial fact. Listen.
Lane had been a police officer for four days. Then he reveals another crucial fact. Listen.
He had given me guidance on how to handle certain calls, he says.
He had given me guidance on how to handle certain calls, he says.