An airliner is a complicated piece of machinery. The logistics and operational elements involved in running that airliner between two foreign cities carrying hundreds of passengers and freight are equally as expansive and complicated.
Our society is a bit like that. There are so many functionaries that have to work hard to make sure that the majority are able to travel through our lifes safely and in an organised and orderly fashion. On the plane, as we sit idle in seat 3F, we are reassurred that well qualified and dilgent people have done the right things when they've been adjusting the widget that keeps the fuel running to the port engine.
And we look to the captain/pilot to make sure that we are going in the right direction. All of the efforts of those involved in this complex operation are all to nothing if this individual is not mindful of their responsiblity.
And very importantly it is important that the pilot keeps it well in mind that those traveling in the plane are putting up the cash to put them in that position. His position is only possible because of this mass of investment and, very importantly, by the hard work and dedication of those skilled individuals contributing to the endeavour.
Sometimes it does seem that the leadership within our society lose sight of the fact that their position is also only tenable because of the efforts of others and of the systems that have been developed. They are only a very small cog, they are not the summit/pinnacle nor the root cause. They should be more humble.
