Why does it takes tragedy for progress to truly begin?

Question

For example: The Minnisota bridge collapse and the supposed yearly checkup of old bridges; Viginia Tech Massacre and gun control; MySpace suicide and Cyberbulling policies; and 9/11 and increased security

Answer 1

It often takes a catastrophic failure before people recognize that a problem needs to be addressed. This isn't just true for large scale problems, you can see it in your daily life. Say you always walk around your house barefoot. This is a perfectly normal activity. It's something you just do and you never really think about it. Until you step on something sharp that has fallen on the floor. If it just causes you a little pain then you'll probably pay more attention to where you step, but you'll still walk around barefoot. It's gotten your attention but not enough to change your behavior.

But what if something worse happened? You step on something that causes a deep cut and you have to go to the emergency room. You have to get a few stitches and a maybe a shot to prevent infection. After an experience like that, you will probably not walk around barefoot anymore. At least not for a long while. Sometimes you have to actually face the worst possible outcome before you realize that you need to change your behavior.

This is why progress is usually preceded by a some sort of a disaster. It forces you to see the worst imaginable outcome as a realistic possibility and change your behavior to prevent that outcome.

Answer 2

Because in this day and age. People do not care as they did before the time of computers, etc..
I am not blaming technology, for the cause of people's callousnous, I am blaming those who don't bother to step up to the plate, and be the people that our ancestors were...
Start reading history, and you will find that our forefather's sacrificed so much and for what?..So, that we could be spoiled?..Not caring?..That is what the world is coming to, and if todays people don't stop, pay attention...It will be too late...
I do not understand why it takes a tragedy for any type of progress...In the case of the bridge?..That was pure laziness, and greed on part of a state government, that did not want to fund improvements before the disaster...

As for gun control?..Read the second amendment very well..We need to keep the right to bear arms...if you think, that taking guns away from people will keep them out of the hands of the bad guys?..You are living in a dream world..We need to keep our right to bear arms...

As for these school tragedys:, only the teachers, counselors, parents, & students can prevent this needless crap...You know it happens, when you are bullying people...Get a life, and do something with it!..Quit trying to one up the last idiot that killed innocent people!...All you are doing, is bring shame to a country that is supposed to help other countries...We can't help our own, and yet, we are out all over the world butting into people's business when we don't need to be...As for Israel?..People need to read the Bible..and do as God asked....

God said, "Love thy neighbor"...he meant it!....

As for 9/11...We need to move on, and try to do better...Never forget those that perished...They are with the Lord, in a better place...That I have to believe...

If there were any advice that I would give and hope that people would listen?..Please, quit acting in a manner that hurts people or others around you...Try helping those out that need help..That means, if you see someone being bullied?..Stand up for them!...Be a Man, Woman, Young Man, or Young Lady, and start acting like it, instead of like heathens...This world will be a better place, it is up to us! To make it a better place!..

All it takes is one person to make a difference..Can you be that person?....

This is a challenge for the answers to the questions you have asked...

As for me, I do practice what I preach.....I would hope there are others like me...Thank-You, and have a good evening....

Answer 3

It might be that when people's survival is actually threatened and "in their faces" do they get more scared and do something that wouldn't be as fearful or inconvenient to them if they did nothing. It's what I think 911 was all about: getting Americans so frightened of terrorism that it wouldn't be so bad if Bush attacked Iraq and suspended our civil rights and ripped up the constitution, no matter how illogical and utterly deceptive Bush's reasons are.

Answer 4

Humans are a self obsessed, destructive species. Modern society makes us this way. Soon people will forget the lessons learned from these horrors,only to be reminded when they happen again. Be different and stand out.

-Neil

Answer 5

I think that is a great question, sometimes it takes something horrible to truly open someones eyes. Sometimes people need to live the saying "you never know what you've got 'til it's gone" although I don't think that it should have to come down to anything horrible.

Answer 6

It sometimes takes a serious tragedy to get action. It can be red tape,Ignorance,whatever it is, its normal to do so,not everybody is convinced it can and does happen.
All we can truly do is press on.Learn from oversights and mistakes.

Answer 7

because people finally realize that a change needs to be made to prevent another tragedy from happening when the first tragedy occurs

Answer 8

I suppose you could call it a wake up call. Its a pity that at the end of WW2 everyone thought that peace would reign for ever. How wrong we were.

Answer 9

BECAUSE- people tend to be lazy; think that bad things can't happen to THEM- And when it DOES- they start complaining about "Why didn't somebody DO anything about this- BEFORE?" !!! This happens EVERY time... :(

Answer 10

Its the proverbial foot-in-the-butt for the powers that be.