The Failure Mode of Helpful

Failure mode (FM) refers to the way in which something might break down and includes potential errors that may occur, especially errors that may affect the customer. — FMEA

Let’s say a friend is in need of something.  Perhaps they have a problem that has been perplexing them for a time or they just found out they are about to lose their job or they just broke up with their SigOther.   And you decide to try to be Helpful about it, because you are a helpful person, and that’s how you roll.

Couple of things here:

1. The perception of Helpful from the POV of other people is highly subject to external circumstances, many of which you have no control or even influence on,  and probably aren’t even aware of.
2. The Failure Mode of Helpful is Annoying.

I should clarify that when I say the Failure Mode of Helpful is annoying, I’m speaking of the default mode.  In other words, if you fail to be helpful and  do nothing else, the default state is annoying.  It is quite possible that you could do much, much more harm.

Let’s pretend for a minute that your dog was hit by a car and died.  NOTHING in the world is going to make you feel better at that particular moment except perhaps a friend who shows up with a Delorean and can take you back far enough in the past to prevent Fido from being outside that horrible day.

However, in lieu of a friend with a time traveling vehicle, let’s pretend instead that two friends show up to offer their support.  Between the following two choices, which of these will offer you a modicum of comfort:

• Friend1 who says something to the effect of I’m sorry for your loss, I know how much Fido meant to you.
• Friend2 who says yeah same thing happened to me last year.

That is not a situation in which you want to risk the Failure Mode of Helpful and my guess is most sensible people will unfriend Friend2 at the first opportunity.

This is not to say that your helpfulness should not eventually come out at the appropriate time.  That time is usually well after they have given you the elevator pitch about their quandary AND you have suppressed the urge to offer whatever solution you came up with 30 seconds after hearing about the predicament they’ve likely been struggling with for x weeks.  You also want to avoid giving in to terrible cliches or offering help they really cannot use and/or absolutely do not need.

TL/DR:  Just because you intended to be helpful doesn’t mean you will be received as helpful for all sorts of reasons.

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My Star Wars: The Force Awakens theory on who Rey is

By now you probably have seen the movie and if you haven’t, well okay spoiler alert. I think there are at least three camps for who Rey’s parents are.

1. She’s Han and Leia’s other child
2. She’s Luke’s daughter (hopefully with EU favorite Mara Jade)
3. She’s Ben Kenobi’s grand child

There are probably a few other smaller camps out there but these are the front runners. The obvious flaw in #1 is that Han and Leia would not forget they have another child. The flaw with #2 and #3 is that Jedi aren’t supposed to have attachments, or marital relations.

If you watch this video, at around 3 seconds, Ben Kenobi says “I was once a Jedi Knight…”

Once, as in no longer. It’s very possible that after the events of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan no longer considered himself a Jedi. Or to avoid suspicion perhaps he even tried to have a relationship with someone while waiting for young Luke to grow up.

My just thought up 5 minutes ago theory is that Rey is a clone with Skywalker DNA. Think about it. Anakin was supposed to be the Chosen One. What if someone wanted to create another Chosen one?

When Luke lost his hand (and his light saber) at Bespin, it had to go somewhere. What if someone found it, brought it to Kamino and plugged it into the clone machine and set it to female? [Note: I’m making these references without needing to look them up, go geek me.]

Bonus argument: the Stormtroopers of the Star Wars universe were copied influenced by the Sardaukar of the Dune universe. In the Dune books, a multitude of Duncan Idahos are created as Gholas, essentially clones. While there are some technical differences, Gholas are essentially clones. Gholas are able to awaken their original memories when they experience a psychological trauma. As a plot device, all the Duncan Idaho Gholas are put through a psychological trauma to make them true Duncans.

What if whomever is cloning Skywalkers decided to not leave anything to Nature versus Nurture chance, and plop them down on a desert planet that recreates as much as possible the conditions Anakin grew up in. Who knows, there are probably lots of desert planets in the Star Wars universe. And if dropping a young kid off there with vague promises to return some day isn’t psychological trauma, I don’t know what is. There could be Darth Vader clones all over the place.

IF YOU LIKED THIS POST I BET YOU’LL ALSO LIKE: Thoughts and Questions about The Force Awakens

 

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Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.

 

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