Being on autopilot is safe.
Aside from landing and taking off, most planes fly on autpilot. Pilots would set the plane on autopilot mode while they went over some other operational checks. They still oversee the plane as it flies but most of the flight is automatic and self-correcting. This avoids the possibility of human error and clumsiness. On top of that, planes on autopilot fly smoother through the air.
Being on autopilot is safe, but it’s terrifying.
One of my biggest fears is losing control of my life to routine, to mindless work, to unwanted engagements. Although a certain degree of uncertainty and letting go is necessary, the thought of having lost my grip on my life’s steering wheel gives me chills. When one day blends into the next like one long day, when we look forward to the weekends, when we’re never there even when our bodies are.
It sounds silly, but the question of control over my days beckons almost everyday. And everyday becomes this struggle of balance between autopilot and taking the wheel. Between take-off and landing, how much is truly under our control? How much should be under our control? I’m either overthinking this or not thinking it through enough.