From the Brickyard | Subject: A lesson from the tragedy
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Most people know how the Titanic went down.
Big ship. Cold night. Iceberg. Tragedy.
But here’s a question that doesn’t get asked enough—and when it does, it changes everything:
What if the Titanic hadn’t turned? What if she hit the iceberg head-on instead of trying to dodge it?
Sounds crazy, right?
But here’s the wild truth…
If Titanic had rammed that iceberg straight on, she probably wouldn’t have sunk.
A Different Kind of Impact
Titanic tried to turn left (port) and reverse engines to avoid the iceberg. But all that did was put her more in harm’s way.
Why?
It all has to do with her watertight compartments.
She was built so she could stay afloat with four compartments flooded, which was thought to make her so safe she was called the unsinkable ship.
But turning made the ‘berg scrape along her side in the worst way possible—tearing open five compartments.
That was game over.
Now imagine this:
Instead of swerving, Titanic slams into the iceberg dead center.
The bow takes the blow. One or two compartments crushed. Water rushing in, yes—but she likely stays afloat.
It would’ve been like a hundred train wrecks at once—violent. Brutal. Absolute carnage. But not a full-scale sinking.
Thousands more lives could’ve been saved.
The Brickwall Takeaway
And here’s where the story stops being about ships and starts being about you.
Sometimes, the move that feels safer—the dodge, the delay, the detour—is the one that dooms you.
How often do we flinch, swerve, stall…and end up taking damage we could’ve survived if we’d just faced it head-on?
In training.
In business.
In relationships.
It’s not always the hit that breaks you.
It’s the way you respond to it.
You’ve Got Your Own Icebergs
Maybe it’s a conversation you’ve been avoiding.
A decision you keep putting off.
A truth you hope will miss you if you just turn away.
But the longer you dodge, the worse the damage gets.
Sometimes the best move is to brace yourself, tighten your grip, and smash into that fucking iceberg head-on.
Here’s Your Challenge
Stop swerving.
Stop dodging.
Stop bleeding out from a thousand cuts.
Find the icebergs you’ve been avoiding—and hit them.
Head-on.
No flinch.
No panic.
Take the hit. Stay afloat. Better your life.
Brick by brick.
-Brickwall