Reflections on the Hotel Fire Tragedy: Lessons We Must Learn

Hi everyone,

Today, I find it hard to write in the wake of the tragic hotel fire in Türkiye. Tens of people, including families, have lost their lives.

My heartfelt condolences go out to their loved ones, and I pray for patience and strength for those affected.

On Tragedy and Reflection

I don’t want to discuss what wasn’t done, the missing elements, the policies, or what was unimplemented.

These conversations are vital, but they’re already being addressed by experts—vocational health and safety specialists, engineers, architects, and others.

Instead, I want to share two thoughts that have been weighing on me today:

1. Failing Forward

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the idea of failing fast, failing often, but failing forward. This means learning from failures and using those lessons to improve.

Unfortunately, we seem to be good at failing fast and failing often, but not at learning.

As John Maxwell (I think) said:
"Failure isn’t failure if you learn something from it."

In two weeks, we’ll mark the second anniversary of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey that took tens of thousands of lives. Despite the magnitude of that tragedy, I haven’t heard of any significant national-level drills or large-scale preparations for future earthquakes.

This is what I mean when I say we’re not learning. Failing forward requires more than just experiencing failure—it demands reflection, action, and change.

2. How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything

Jim Rohn once said:
"How you do anything is how you do everything."

This quote feels painfully relevant. The way we build our buildings, the way we treat people, the value we place on human life—they’re all interconnected.

I’m not pointing fingers at us as Turkish people, but as humans. This isn’t unique to Turkey. Whether in the U.S., Europe, or elsewhere, many of us fall short of practicing what we preach.

We see countless examples of this worldwide—safety measures ignored, human lives undervalued, and lessons left unlearned.

The result? We repeat the same mistakes, often with devastating consequences.

A Call to Reflect and Act

I hope today’s reflections resonate with you and encourage you to think about how we, as individuals and societies, can do better.

Let’s take concrete steps and commit to doing everything we do with responsibility and care. Whether it’s building structures, shaping policies, or simply being there for each other, let’s value human life above all else.

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