Chapter 17
When Everything Goes Wrong at Once

This chapter reveals the cascade pattern—how one poor decision creates a chain reaction where each new problem limits your options and forces worse choices. The crew's initial mistake of leaving the ship's weapons behind doesn't just create one problem; it triggers a domino effect where every subsequent decision must be made under worsening conditions with fewer resources. The mechanism works like this: under pressure, people focus on immediate problems while missing bigger strategic mistakes. The crew fixated on getting everyone into the boat but overlooked the weapons. Once that error was locked in, every choice afterward—where to land, whether to shoot, how fast to row—had to be made with less time, fewer options, and higher stakes. Each decision point arrived faster than the last, creating a spiral where good judgment becomes nearly impossible. You see this exact pattern everywhere today. At work, missing one deadline forces you to rush the next project, leading to mistakes that create more urgent deadlines. In healthcare, one missed medication dose can trigger symptoms that require emergency interventions, creating a crisis cascade. In relationships, avoiding one difficult conversation creates bigger problems that force harder conversations under worse conditions. In finances, one late payment triggers fees and higher rates that make the next payment harder, spiraling toward crisis. When you recognize the cascade starting, stop and ask: 'What am I missing while focused on this immediate problem?' Build buffer time and resources before you need them. When crisis hits, resist the urge to just react faster—sometimes you need to pause and reassess your strategy even when it feels like you can't afford to. Most importantly, accept that preventing cascades is easier than stopping them once they start. When you can name the pattern, predict where it leads, and navigate it successfully—that's amplified intelligence.