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We’re Living in a Different World Now – Let’s Talk About Situational Awareness

Annihilator

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Good article on situation awareness, in today’s society, most here there butts buried into there phones and have no ideal of there surroundings, you have to stay vigilant, especially in todays world.

 
Last time i figured i was gonna buy the farm was when a pack of Yotes followed me 400 yards back to my4 wheeler, they were snappin their teeth and growling the whole time. all i had was a Muzzeloader. i did talk trash to them the whole time too. they never got froggy enough to jump, but i never carried just a muzzeloader again.
 
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IDK, I just don't think you can teach yourself to be "Situationally Aware" and I don't believe you can will yourself into a heightened sense of awareness for any length of time.

I am thoroughly convinced that the only way to learn Situational Awareness is to be put in a position in which you have to be paying attention to your surroundings or you're going to have consequences.

I've talked about this before but I used to work in a group home. One night at work I was having a conversation with one of the kids. Another kid asked me a question and when I turned to answer her the first kid bounced a dinner plate off my forehead. That was my first lesson in Situational Awareness.

I also believe that if you're walking around constantly scanning your 30 foot bubble you're going to stand out like a paranoid sore thumb.

If "observant" is something you do instead of something you are it's going to look forced and it's going to draw attention to you because you'll look like the one"Casing the joint".
 
IDK, I just don't think you can teach yourself to be "Situationally Aware" and I don't believe you can will yourself into a heightened sense of awareness for any length of time.

I am thoroughly convinced that the only way to learn Situational Awareness is to be put in a position in which you have to be paying attention to your surroundings or you're going to have consequences.

I've talked about this before but I used to work in a group home. One night at work I was having a conversation with one of the kids. Another kid asked me a question and when I turned to answer her the first kid bounced a dinner plate off my forehead. That was my first lesson in Situational Awareness.

I also believe that if you're walking around constantly scanning your 30 foot bubble you're going to stand out like a paranoid sore thumb.

If "observant" is something you do instead of something you are it's going to look forced and it's going to draw attention to you because you'll look like the one"Casing the joint".


With all due respect, if you worked in a group home ( and I say this as a guy who spent a year in one as a teenager) and you took your eye off ANY of the inmates/kids, then I'm not sure you understood that you WERE in a position in which you have to be paying attention to your surroundings or you're going to have consequences.

That said, I would call whatever condition I was in prior to my decade of working on the streets of north St. Louis less than fully aware. I got fully aware very quickly. Being shot at several times will do that to you. 3 years since I worked in N. St. Louis I am still very fully aware. So I can't argue with that point. I will say though, that you absolutely can be 100% certain you know what or who is within a certain distance of you at all times without looking like you are on high alert. Except when you're sleeping.
 
The dash cam video is compelling and a message of what’s been normalized by no cash bonds and de-policing. These videos are stifled by some media outlets, even if they serve a purpose.

Remember “Look to the left, look to the right, cross at the corners, walk with the light” ? A life skill once actually taught in of all places, public school. But I ask, who in this current existence of Millennials and Generation Z‘s does or care to do that? Besides occupied pedestrians, there’s crosswalks where bicyclists don’t stop expecting cross traffic to stop for them.

Everyone needs to be aware and prepared in case of that sudden wallop ‘upside the head.

Safety training is a must for every new activity. Life skills altered and lost by dependency on new gadgets takes the cake. Cringe worthy episodes of some of the home flip shows tells a lot and demonstrates how the ignoramuses jump before looking. This haphazard medium or social influence promotes bad habits.

In all these personal defense awareness scenarios that are recreated for training, nothing can real of fully prepare the average Joe or Joan and-a who knows who for when the real thing actually happens when they’re unprepared and distracted, but mostly hopes to get some to change their habits. Maybe if enough obtuse robbery victims got together and lobbied for a gubmint warming label on the box..? Some crafty chiselers exploring the class action yet?
Caution: Constant device viewing may be hazardous to your safety.

The bum rush stick-ups are a daily thing here all over Chicago, several over the course of 24 hrs, all the while our flippant ignorant mayor keeps pushing his acceptance spiel not to demonize and profile youth yet offers no solution or plan to address crime, situational awareness is now considered to be insensitive.

But anyway, there’s always someone with a cellphone cam rolling instead of being used to call the (unavailable) police. Using these live action real-time altercations can have some really good value if only to remind future victims of the problem thats being ignored by the elected.

I’ll add one recent violent situation for viewing, and thoughts on avoidability, guard down, distractions, suspicions, etc, and how one might or might not have had a moment to respond differently in that short time span….

(Spoiler Alert: I case anyone is wondering the most serious consequences in the video according to current Chicago Cook County lenient justice system is the double parking and fail to stop at stop sign violations)

 
With all due respect, if you worked in a group home ( and I say this as a guy who spent a year in one as a teenager) and you took your eye off ANY of the inmates/kids, then I'm not sure you understood that you WERE in a position in which you have to be paying attention to your surroundings or you're going to have consequences.
I mean, I'm pretty sure I almost explicitly stated that in my post.
I will say though, that you absolutely can be 100% certain you know what or who is within a certain distance of you at all times without looking like you are on high alert. Except when you're sleeping.
can I suggest you go back and read my post with the intention of understanding what I wrote rather than looking for a hook to prove that you're the biggest badass on the Forum?
 
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I mean, I'm pretty sure I almost explicitly stated that in my post.

can I suggest you go back and read my post with the intention of understanding what I wrote rather than looking for a hook to prove that you're the biggest badass on the Forum?
Do you really think I think I'm a bad ass ? Damn. I assure you it wasn't meant to come off like that at all.

And for the record, I said I agreed with you, but you got butt hurt anyway. Sorry buddy. I did not intend to offend you.
 
Great article.
I as I continue to move into what used to be called the golden years it’s obvious that things have changed so much it’s very important to stay vigilant to your surroundings at all times.
I honestly don’t consider myself a paranoid person however if nothing else I’m constantly aware of where I am and who is around me at all times, as mentioned before continued training is very important but there is NOTHING more important than situational awareness. It goes without saying that if you’re not aware of what is going on around you then no matter the training you are not prepared.
 
Last time i figured i was gonna buy the farm was when a pack of Yotes followed me 400 yards back to my4 wheeler, they were snappin their teeth and growling the whole time. all i had was a Muzzeloader. i did talk trash to them the whole time too. they never got froggy enough to jump, but i never carried just a muzzeloader again.
I lived out in the country not too far from Bonham Texas for a few years. The coyotes and snakes were so bad up there I never stepped out of the house without at least a 22 revolver. Many times I had to shoot a few rounds to keep them from getting too close to the house.

I had a tree about 30 feet from the house back then and my dog was raising heck one morning and I looked out the window and there was a Bobcat in it. I saw all kinds of critters and most times I saw them in plenty of time to avoid having any problems.

Good awareness is never a bad idea.

Lots more people live in that area now so I don't think coyotes are as much of a problem as they used to be.

Now I'm down by the Mexican border in South Texas. I rarely get too close to the border but I still won't drive near the area without being properly armed.

The rural parts of the border are more dangerous because smugglers are sometimes armed with ARs and such. Not places you want to venture out at night.
 
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