Julio Garreaud The Human Architect

My Oxford American Dictionary defines “breakdown” as 1a A mechanical failure. b A loss of (spiritual, mental) health. 2 A collapse (breakdown of communication). 3 A detailed analysis (of statistics, etc.)
When something is not working we can declare a breakdown. Understanding this distinction is fundamental to our ability to design our lives. Simply put, a breakdown is an unexpected “break” in the normal flow of what we were doing. More specifically, breakdowns are unexpected interruptions in the fulfillment of a commitment. Breakdowns may initially seem to be all “negative,” but they are not positive or negative in and of themselves. Breakdowns are not good or bad. They just are.
The universe doesn’t have breakdowns. People do. Different observers have different breakdowns. What’s a huge breakdown for one observer (one person) passes totally unnoticed by another
Being able to “declare” breakdowns at work or in our personal lives is the first step toward real change, learning or improvement.
Declaring a breakdown sets a new context for action - for individuals and organizations.
We address our breakdowns through conversations, and all conversations are not created equal. Some conversations absolutely move us toward taking care of the breakdown, and some do not.
Breakdowns are inevitable and are a simple fact of life. The point is therefore not to attempt to avoid breakdowns; rather, it is to gain competency and ability to deal effectively with the breakdowns which occur, as well as to gain practice declaring breakdowns proactively as a way of moving ourselves toward the results we say we want.