Americans love a close call. It’s in our national DNA. Take Apollo 13’s nearly missed re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere in 1970. We cheer loudest when the odds have been longest; the more sweat wiped from brows, the more invested we become.

We love a happy ending, but especially the kind that almost wasn’t. This uniquely American cultural instinct is not limited to space missions as it presents in how we process politics, diplomacy, even war. Recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities didn’t destroy their program, but it did set it back. For many Americans, that was reason enough to applaud since a clear, dramatic action was taken.

But where is that applause when diplomacy succeeds in preventing the need for airstrikes to begin with? Where are the headlines and national sighs of relief when something is defused quietly, without spectacle? Seemingly, we assign meaning and offer praise when something nearly slips away. Do Americans only recognize progress when it arrives on the brink of disaster?

We’re not at Cuban Missile Crisis levels of alarm yet, where a president must prepare the nation for possible annihilation. However, global tensions escalate quicker than ever before and events that once took weeks to unfold can now happen in mere hours. Why do so many Americans value holding their breath until the final moment while they disregard restraint and patience? We should appreciate the quiet, steady work that keeps us from the edge of disaster in the first place.

Nicole Petit Wiesendanger
Portland