the.com/backup plan
the parachute you pack hoping never to pull the cord.
means an alternative course of action prepared in advance in case the first choice fails.
from military and aviation jargon from the mid-20th century, where redundancy meant survival not pessimism, later adopted by business and everyday life.
aviation originpilots always file an alternate airport, by law
psychology twisthaving one can lower motivation for plan a
nasa doctrineapollo missions carried triple-redundant systems
paradoxthe best backup plans are never activated
for instance
apollo 13 abort — 1970, lunar module became lifeboat, saved three astronauts
understudy actors — broadway keeps one memorizing every lead role nightly
y2k contingency budgets — companies spent over 300 billion dollars preparing, worldwide
secret service motorcades — always route two paths, decided minutes before departure