[MLeake]

Your analysis is accurate, and good.

On a related note, safety can be taken to an extreme. As a former squadron CO of mine once said, "Safety is NOT our first priority. If it were, we would never fly, we'd just leave the aircraft in the barn. Mission accomplishment is our number one priority, and we will achieve that through professionalism and dedication to duty. Safety will be a byproduct of professionalism."

I've had to make decisions on just how low I could let the fuel burn down, before heading back to shore from an overwater SAR. This involved such questions as "Are there any closer airfields than the one I had planned? If a nearer field is available, what is the weather supposed to be there? Is there at least one instrument approach I can shoot, if the weather is not Visual Meteorological Conditions? How much longer can I hang out here, if I shut down an engine?" I frequently have had to make decisions based on weather, or equipment status, or crew fatigue and distraction levels, vs importance of the mission.

Some missions, you burn down to the minimum before heading for a field. Some missions, you may consider continuing after an engine or electrical problem. Others, you go home, or you land at the nearest suitable field.

IE, a lot of my life has been tied up with risk analysis. More often than not, I've been in a position where some risk is the norm.

This doesn't mean that I don't do risk analysis, it just means that I have no expectation of absolute safety, or anything near it; I do have the ability, from many years of practice, to quickly assess a situation and decide how my personal capabilities match up.

Caveat: For training evolutions, minor supply runs, etc, the acceptable level of risk is significantly lower. Again, the benefits are not always the same, and so the risks they justify are not the same.

However, one thing to bear in mind when doing any risk/benefit analysis is that not all people place the same value on things.

You may not place much benefit on protecting livestock or a family pet, for instance, and you don't have to. I do, and it's pretty hard-wired. I'd feel much worse about letting harm come to my dog, for instance, than I would feel about kicking the crap out of some stranger who tried to abuse her.

I'd also feel pretty stupid just watching somebody take my truck. Could it be recovered? Sure. Would it be likely to be returned in good condition? Less likely. How much money would I lose, after any insurance payment was considered? Not sure.

Would I be extremely annoyed with myself for having done nothing when I had the option to take action? Yes.

That said, while it's most likely I'd confront somebody trying to take property, it's guaranteed I'd confront somebody who was trying to steal or harm one of my animals.

There is a certain value to be attached to the ability to live with oneself.