97 Things Every SRE Should Know

Chapter 59. Of Margins and Individuals

Kurt Andersen

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Problem solving, beyond rote mechanical approaches, requires creativity, and creativity requires free space in which to take place. Understanding, empathy, and compassion all require the capacity to go beyond the constraints of immediate personal circumstances. That extra free space, that extra capacity is margin. Margin is the space between our load and our limits.

On a personal level, margin is critical to survival. One of the most fundamental aspects of life is breathing, and breathing only happens when the muscles of the diaphragm and rib cage make space—inflating the lungs and drawing air in. Constrictor snakes don’t kill their prey by squashing them. They kill by depriving the victims of the ability to breathe by cinching tighter and tighter around the body until there is literally no room to breathe.

The pandemic and social disruptions of 2020 have highlighted the impact of environmental stress for nearly everyone. It is a powerful illustration of the concept of allostatic load, a generalized stress response in the face of environmental uncertainty. As people have had to cope with increased environmental stressors, their capacity for other pursuits—their margin—has been degraded. As uncertainty persists longer or more intensely, people’s mental and physical reserves are more deeply depleted.

To counter this environmental ...