Stephen Dubner

We tend to use the word tragedy to describe all kinds of terrible events, but what do you call a tragedy that was predictable and preventable? You call that a failure. At least Ed Gallia does. Consider the 102 people who died by fire in Lahaina.

We tend to use the word tragedy to describe all kinds of terrible events, but what do you call a tragedy that was predictable and preventable? You call that a failure. At least Ed Gallia does. Consider the 102 people who died by fire in Lahaina.

We tend to use the word tragedy to describe all kinds of terrible events, but what do you call a tragedy that was predictable and preventable? You call that a failure. At least Ed Gallia does. Consider the 102 people who died by fire in Lahaina.

Hawaii has a robust emergency warning system, although it is most famous for having falsely notified the entire state of an impending missile strike in 2018. But the system appears to have failed during the wildfires. This is from an NBC News interview with a survivor.

Hawaii has a robust emergency warning system, although it is most famous for having falsely notified the entire state of an impending missile strike in 2018. But the system appears to have failed during the wildfires. This is from an NBC News interview with a survivor.

Hawaii has a robust emergency warning system, although it is most famous for having falsely notified the entire state of an impending missile strike in 2018. But the system appears to have failed during the wildfires. This is from an NBC News interview with a survivor.

Government investigators found that the fire was caused by a series of failures. A fallen power line was mistakenly re-energized. which ignited a gully full of dry grass that should have been trimmed. And it's clear that the evacuation was a failure, a failure that could have been prevented. As Ed Gallia likes to say, a failure is not just about the tragic moment.

Government investigators found that the fire was caused by a series of failures. A fallen power line was mistakenly re-energized. which ignited a gully full of dry grass that should have been trimmed. And it's clear that the evacuation was a failure, a failure that could have been prevented. As Ed Gallia likes to say, a failure is not just about the tragic moment.

Government investigators found that the fire was caused by a series of failures. A fallen power line was mistakenly re-energized. which ignited a gully full of dry grass that should have been trimmed. And it's clear that the evacuation was a failure, a failure that could have been prevented. As Ed Gallia likes to say, a failure is not just about the tragic moment.

OK, can we agree on that, that a failure, any kind of failure, is a chain of events? There can be any number of causes and any number of consequences to embarrassment, shame, anger, pain, financial loss, the loss of reputation, the loss of life. There are public failures and private failures, each of them costly in their own ways.

OK, can we agree on that, that a failure, any kind of failure, is a chain of events? There can be any number of causes and any number of consequences to embarrassment, shame, anger, pain, financial loss, the loss of reputation, the loss of life. There are public failures and private failures, each of them costly in their own ways.

OK, can we agree on that, that a failure, any kind of failure, is a chain of events? There can be any number of causes and any number of consequences to embarrassment, shame, anger, pain, financial loss, the loss of reputation, the loss of life. There are public failures and private failures, each of them costly in their own ways.

And of course, there is the fear of failure and the fear of being seen having failed. This means that sometimes we don't even try. And what's the cost of that? Or we try to hide our failures, which means denying everyone else what might have been a helpful example. You might think that as long as we humans have been failing, that by now we would be very good at managing it and learning from it.

And of course, there is the fear of failure and the fear of being seen having failed. This means that sometimes we don't even try. And what's the cost of that? Or we try to hide our failures, which means denying everyone else what might have been a helpful example. You might think that as long as we humans have been failing, that by now we would be very good at managing it and learning from it.

And of course, there is the fear of failure and the fear of being seen having failed. This means that sometimes we don't even try. And what's the cost of that? Or we try to hide our failures, which means denying everyone else what might have been a helpful example. You might think that as long as we humans have been failing, that by now we would be very good at managing it and learning from it.

But my argument today is that we are not. Most of us don't think about failure as a chain of events. Most of us get angry or frustrated and we go looking for someone to blame. Consider what happens when a hospital patient is given the wrong drug.

But my argument today is that we are not. Most of us don't think about failure as a chain of events. Most of us get angry or frustrated and we go looking for someone to blame. Consider what happens when a hospital patient is given the wrong drug.

But my argument today is that we are not. Most of us don't think about failure as a chain of events. Most of us get angry or frustrated and we go looking for someone to blame. Consider what happens when a hospital patient is given the wrong drug.

That is Amy Edmondson, another failure expert. She's at the Harvard Business School, and her research focus is on failure in organizations, which is not uncommon.

That is Amy Edmondson, another failure expert. She's at the Harvard Business School, and her research focus is on failure in organizations, which is not uncommon.