Parachutes and Safety Nets

The difference between a parachute and a safety net is that a parachute has to work and work perfectly every time.  Your life depends on it, and there is absolutely no room for error.

On the other hand, if everything goes well, you won't have to use the safety net.  If the unfortunate happens and you find yourself needing the safety net, you want it to work but it's probably okay if there's one or two small holes in it - if in the unlikely event that you're going to have to use the safety net after all, you're statistically not likely to fall in that one spot where there's a hole.  Granted, it may happen, but them's the risks.  You pays your money and you takes your chances, or as the band FIDLAR puts it, "F--- It Dog, Life's A Risk."

I'm not saying that we don't need good safety nets.  I am saying that we need to pay more attention to assuring that our parachutes are working flawlessly.