Scenario 1: You are going on vacation for a week to a remote location where internet connectivity is not possible. Cell phones won’t work either.

I believe that most people would be able to adjust to this situation easily. Prior to arriving at the destination, you would prepare for the fact that you simply won’t be available for a specific period of time. Yes, it may take a day or two to get used to not having access to information or feeling compelled to constantly check and see if anyone has sent you anything. This is a manageable situation.

Scenario 2: You are going about your daily routine and your computer turns off indefinitely in the middle of a project deadline.

How do you react? How quickly can you figure out an alternate course of action? Maybe the project completions is delayed for a short period of time, or another working arrangement is figured out. 

Scenario 3: A pilot is flying a commercial airliner that is full of people. The autopilot malfunctions and the human pilot is required to take control of the aircraft in order to land it safely. However, since the autopilot computer flies the plane most of the time, the human pilot’s reaction times and thought processes are not as sharp as they should be. A poor decision could crash the aircraft.

A pilot may have seconds or minutes to make a critical decision. In the absence of a critical tool or piece of equipment, one’s training and mental conditioning will fill the void.

What separates each of these examples? The space of time we have to react and the severity of the situation. 

The smaller the span of time and the greater our dependence on a specific tool or piece of equipment, then the greater the potential for a negative outcome. Especially, if a person is not physically and mentally prepared to make the necessary adjustments.