At the age of 27, having just made my first film, Boiler Room, I found myself riding a brand new BMW K1200RS south on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Manhattan. The bike was a gift from Ben Affleck (it’s customary to buy the director a modest gift when you wrap a film, but this was generous by any measure). This is a relevant detail because I thought the world belonged to me at that age, and an ancillary effect of that foolish thought is the sense that you are immune from harm. Or as some refer to it: your 20s.
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Key Takeaways:
- The author reflects on a lifelong pattern of risky behavior and near-misses, initially as a reckless motorcyclist in his 20s and later as a pilot in his 40s.
- He notes a persistent self-deception, often attributing past mistakes to a less experienced self, while acknowledging that complacency and "sins in the cockpit" still occur.
- Despite gaining age and experience, the author admits to ongoing biases like wishful thinking and confirmation bias that can lead to dangerous situations.
- The article emphasizes that relying solely on personal experience is insufficient; external safeguards like checklists and learning from others' accidents are crucial for self-preservation.
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