The Invisible Heroes - The Paradox of Recognition
Why is it that the ones who prevent disasters go unnoticed, while the ones who react to crises are showered with praise? This paradox exists everywhere-from IT systems, to law enforcement, to countless other professions. Take IT administrators, for example. A system that runs smoothly all year, with zero downtime, zero major incidents, is not magic. It’s the result of foresight, constant monitoring, patching, backups, and proactive maintenance. Yet, when everything works perfectly, nobody notices. No one says ‘thank you’ for stability. But let the system crash, and the administrator who fixes it suddenly becomes a hero. Or consider law enforcement. A police officer prevents crime through intelligence, patrol, and community engagement-quietly keeping neighborhoods safe. Invisible. Meanwhile, an officer who chases and catches a robber in progress receives medals, praise, and media attention. The preventive work is invisible, while the reactive work is celebrated. It doesn’t stop ...