Security vs Certainty

When I was a kid, thieves broke into my grandma’s house and stole her silver cutlery. I remember the cops showing up and telling her not to expect anything. She was understandably upset, and I remember the ishy feeling I had realizing that strangers had been in her house.

I’ve had security cameras in my house for a while. I say “security,” but what I really mean is    ”peace of mind.”

The cameras themselves can’t protect me or my family. They are in highly visible locations, and the hope is that they will deter bad guys from breaking in. They will certainly help identify them if they do try to come in. It’s regular sci-fi stuff nowadays: night vision, records  everything to an offsite location, and I can monitor it from my phone.

I also have a so-called “security system.” It’s a very nervous system. Every time a door opens, it beeps. And when we’re out of the house, the system gets set to a higher level of nervousness, ready to call the cops at a moment’s notice. Even so, “security” is a misnomer. The best it can do is sound an extremely loud alarm and call the dispatcher. (Which it did once when the cat set it off.)

If I really wanted more security I could build a fortress. But there are always guys with bigger guns. Seal Team Six wouldn’t have too much difficulty getting into whatever structure I built.

Fortunately, I’m not wanted by the US government.

The point is that no matter what measures you take to reduce risk, you can’t get to certainty. You can get to peace of mind, however.

The same can be said for everything in life. You can’t get to certainty, but you can get to peace of mind.

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