Case in Point: A Triumph of the Human Spirit

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Now that the Chilean miners have again seen the light of day, a lot of fighting is about to break out. But what if all the various investigations and arguments we’re about to witness were approached with the same level of spirit and cooperation the world saw so clearly during the rescue effort itself?

Like many around the globe, for several weeks I followed the unfolding saga of 33 Chilean miners trapped far below the earth after an underground tunnel collapsed. And, through the marvel of modern technology, the whole world was able to emotionally bond to some degree to the many workers, government officials, family members, and consultants who made possible one of the most dramatic rescues in modern history.

It’s simply amazing what human beings can do when bonded by common concerns, united in purpose, and motivated by noble spirit. It certainly makes one wonder why such testaments to our ability to work together and accomplish what seems to be the impossible are so few and far between. The planning, structuring, and execution of the rescue effort required funding from several sources, expertise from many scientific and technological disciplines, and an uncommon personal involvement from officials. Even more impressive than the physical rescue effort was the remarkable effort coordinated by leaders among the miners themselves to continually snatch one another’s spirits from the grips of unwieldy anxiety and despair.

The long ordeal for the miners is not completely over. They will all face significant challenges of adjustment — psychologically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. For most, life will never again be the same.

Now that the miners have again seen the light of day, there will not only be a shift in public mood and focus, but a shift in the modus operandi of all the parties once involved in the rescue. Probing into the physical causes of the disaster as well as the types and degree of laxity, legal transgression or moral failure that may have contributed to it will intensify. And there will be claims and counter-claims, lawsuits, adamant defenses and denials, etc. In short, now that one of the most intensely cooperative efforts of all time has ended, a lot of fighting is about to break out and will likely continue for some time to come.

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It’s probably inevitable that some battles will now ensue. And some of those battles might actually end up being quite constructive, especially if some truly promising ways of potentially averting future disasters emerge as a result. But I can’t help wondering what the outcome of all the various inevitable inquiries we’re about to witness might be if they were approached with the same spirit, level of dedication, and most especially, the level of cooperation the whole world saw so clearly during the rescue effort itself.

We are all participants in the great human drama, and various tragedies, threats, and traumas afflict us daily. Whether we like it or not, it’s a real fight to survive and prosper, especially in a potentially non-supportive, oftentimes indifferent, and sometimes hostile world. But if the Chilean miner rescue effort has taught us anything at all it is that we can achieve the nearly impossible whenever we give priority to our most fundamental needs and yearnings and cooperate with one another to achieve our common goals. Realizing this could help lift a lot more of us out of the pit of darkness.

All clinical material on this site is peer reviewed by one or more clinical psychologists or other qualified mental health professionals. This specific article was originally published by on and was last reviewed or updated by Dr Greg Mulhauser, Managing Editor on .

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