“Nobody remembers the disasters that never happened.”
When tragedy strikes, we tell its story for generations. We build memorials, honor the heroes, and engrain its lessons into history. But what about the catastrophes that were averted? The ones that could have been devastating—but weren’t—because someone stepped in before it was too late?
Joel Freund, a strategic operations expert, highlights this overlooked reality: “Everyone remembers 9/11. But how many people remember the 2006 Transatlantic Aircraft Plot or the 2009 New York Subway Plot? These could have been catastrophic. But they weren’t. Because they were stopped in time. And because they never happened, they were forgotten.”
This truth extends far beyond security threats. We pour resources into responding to crises but often neglect prevention. We invest in emergency medicine but underfund preventative care. We offer crisis hotlines but lack long-term mental health support. Businesses are bailed out after they collapse, yet little is done to ensure their survival beforehand. Communities rally after disaster strikes, yet few systems exist to prevent those disasters in the first place.
The absence of disaster doesn’t make headlines. It doesn’t get remembered. It doesn’t get heroes.
But if we want a better future, that needs to change. Prevention may not be glamorous, but it is essential. Because the greatest crises are the ones that never happen.
