A Competence Deficit Postscript

Many readers of my recent post, A Competence Deficit, commented that I unfairly characterized the late Camp Mystic director, Dick Eastland, as incompetent in his response to the flash flood that killed 27 young campers.

Many pointed out that flash flood warnings are very common in Texas and that Mr. Eastland had no way of knowing that the storm on the morning of July 4 was such an exceptional event.

I respectfully disagree. Not only is our society suffering from a competence deficit, it is also suffering from a widespread failure to understand and appreciate the virtue of competence.

The essence of competence is being able to distinguish an unusual and unusually dangerous situation from a run of the mill situation. A competent man in charge of protecting the lives of hundreds is—like an actuary—one who understands that exceptionally risky situations are rare and may only happen once in thirty or even fifty years. Equipped with this understanding, he is nevertheless prepared and ever vigilant for “the big one” that may never come in his lifetime.

He understands that he will occasionally have to make decisions based on limited data, and that his directives to take precautionary measures may cause inconvenience, discomfort, and other risks. His ability to weigh risks and benefits, to make quick judgement calls, and to take decisive action is what qualifies him to hold a leadership position of grave responsibility.

Without giving it much thought, most people intuitively perceive that airline pilots, ship captains, medical doctors, military combat officers, firefighters, policemen, and electricians must necessarily possess a large measure of competence in order to perform their jobs consistently well.

Competence is the virtue enables a civilization to survive and flourish. A competence deficit will inevitably result in a proliferation of disasters and sorrow.

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