Defensive Mindset - You Just Need To Calm The F@^k Down

Surprise, Panic, and the Chicken Little Mentality are the Big Three Killers when you are in a defensive, or disaster situation. A fourth is ignoring what thousands of years of wired in instinct are telling you about your surroundings.

Most people today...yes...most people today...live their lives attached to a device of some sort. Whether it is a so-called smart phone, an ipod with headphones on shutting out the world around them, or another social media connected device so they can facetwit, hashtag whatever, or instawhine...whatever it is, they connect to the digital world while disconnecting from the real world around them. I am fairly certain a number of people who are reading this are doing it from their phone, in a public place, with people within arms length of them.

The reality is that most people today are woefully mentally, physically, and psychologically unprepared to defend themselves if and when the need arises. Why? Because they are woefully mentally, physically, and psychologically unable to disconnect from the digital world and live in the real one.

Before you read any further...you may need a mental Safe Space. Build one in the back of your head with a teddy bear, a blanky, and a sippee cup because I am going to tell the unvarnished truth as it is in the real world. The pictures will not be pretty, and I will not spare anyone's feelings.

Surprise. There is a saying in the military that goes "A commander can be forgiven for losing a battle, but not for being surprised". This is also true in the civilian world. You can be forgiven for losing a fight. The results will be bad to one degree or another, you may even be dead...but if you weren't surprised then you could at least have gone out mounting some sort of a defense. Hell, you might even get lucky and win. If you are surprised and injured or killed without being able to mount a defense for yourself or your family...then shame on you.

Panic. Panic is that state of mind where you are paralyzed and unable to implement any sort of plan or decision. This is usually where you die, right after you are surprised. See ya.

The dictionary, which is much more kind and gentle than I, defines panic as: Sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behavior.

I, as a teacher of defensive tactics and advanced firearms skills, defines panic as: That uncontrolled state of mind in which you are unable to act in a deliberate manner.

Either way...panic kills.

Chicken Little Mentality. This is the condition in which you have given in to panic, and are running around screaming, bumping into walls, trying to escape or make sense of a situation that has gone well beyond your control...but you are doing it with absolutely ZERO idea of what is going on. This is where you get, not only yourself, but those around you killed as well. Good job.

As I told all my cadets and civilian trainees: You need to calm the fuck down.

The prepared mind is not given to panic. As alleged survivalists (I am not a fan of that word)...I prefer survival minded people...then in addition to the food, firearms, ammo, medicine, and all those other items, tools, and objects of preparation...the most important piece of equipment is the prepared mind.

The prepared mind is one that is not given to Surprise, Panic, or Chicken Little Mentality. The prepared mind can remain functional when the shit show has kicked off and the fat lady is singing. The prepared mind is dangerous, and if you can't be safe...be dangerous.

Hypervigilance. One poster mentioned “hypervigilance” as being the state of mind to be in while out and about and that someone, I can’t remember if it was some psychobabblist, but someone recommended this state of mind to him. All I can say is WRONG. Hypervigilance is a state of near paranoia that cannot be maintained for more that short bursts and when it is…it will burn you out. Period.

Hypervigilance is an enhanced state of sensory sensitivity accompanied by an exaggerated intensity of behaviors whose purpose is to detect activity. Hypervigilance may bring about a state of increased anxiety which can cause exhaustion.

Hypervigilance is also accompanied by a state of increased anxiety which can cause exhaustion. “Other symptoms include: abnormally increased arousal, a high responsiveness to stimuli and a constant scanning of the environment for threats. Hypervigilance is a symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Hypervigilance is considered a PTSD symptom and is to be AVOIDED. Period.

So what is the prepared mind looking for? In other words…what state of being?

The prepared mind is looking for, and can maintain comfortably for very long periods of time, a state of “relaxed alertness”.

Colonel Jeff Cooper, founder of the American Pistol Institute and Gunsite Academy, developed the Color Codes Of Mental Awareness for the combative mindset. This applies to combat, as well as non-combative “victim avoidance”. If you learn, develop, and practice these skills as a matter of day to day living…then it becomes automatic. You do it without thinking about it, and you become dangerous. Not dangerous to the innocents around you…but dangerous to those who would try to cause you harm.

I was fortunate enough to train under Colonel Cooper, as well as Massad Ayoob, Clint Smith, and Chuck Taylor. I have taught this to fifteen classes of police academy cadets as well as hundreds and hundreds of civilian students. This is where you want to live, because it will keep you alive.

 

And then....you train until you fucking bleed.

 

I live in the yellow and visited the Red many times too many times in the past.
Still in the yellow but see little of the orange or red now in my new occupation.