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Pay Attention
By Scott Gatlin
Many statements by victims of violent crime start with phrases like "He came out of nowhere." Or "I didn't see anything." It was as if the criminal appeared from thin air but we all know that isn't the case. Many of the victims are saying this on the scene but some are saying it from the back of an ambulance or from a hospital bed. They all had one thing in common ... they didn't pay attention.
One universal trait of warriors throughout history has been the unfailing habit of remaining alert and noticing what goes on around them. By being alert to our surroundings, by noticing the actions and body language of others, and by being aware of anything that appears to be unusual or out of place, we give ourselves several advantages. We increase our chances of avoiding confrontations with those who would try to rob or hurt us. We give ourselves more time to formulate a plan if a fight is inevitable. We insure more time to communicate with our friends or family before an unavoidable fight. And finally, we rob the bad guys of one of their most potent tools, the element of surprise.
One biblical account in the Old Testament illustrates the importance of alertness:
So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. The Lord said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." (Judges 7:5-7)
We must realize that anyone, any age, any place, at any time can develop the habit of paying attention to his surroundings. Being alert does not require any special physical skills, any weapons, or any minimum age. Anyone can do it anytime they are out in public. When each member of a family acquires this habit, more eyes can be used to observe a family’s surroundings and detect any potential problems. The earlier a potential problem is detected, the more options we may have to avoid or overcome the threat.
Jeff Cooper, a pioneer in the realm of personal defense, developed a system of mental color codes to describe our level of awareness and readiness to deal with potential threats. A key concept in this system is that we must be able to move up and down this scale as the conditions change around us.
Condition White describes our lowest level of alertness. We should never be out in public in condition white. People in condition white often walk with their heads down, unaware of their surroundings. They may be described as daydreaming. The only place we should allow ourselves to be in condition white is in our home behind locked doors.
Condition Yellow can be described as having your head up and your eyes open. You are relaxed yet alert and aware of your surroundings. You have no focal point and have not identified any potential threat. When someone observes you while you are condition yellow, they will realize that you are paying attention and that you will notice them if they approach you.
Condition Orange is an increased level of awareness with a specific focal point. You have noticed someone or something that has drawn your attention. That "thing" may be suspicious actions on the part of one or more people, something that appears to be out of place, or any other situation that just does not seem “right.” In condition orange, you have not yet decided to fight or take any other action, but you are focused on a potential threat.
In Condition Red you are prepared to fight. You may be physically inactive, but you have mentally committed to take action when your "line in the sand" is crossed. It is important to note that you may move up and down the scale from orange to red to orange without ever taking any physical action. The changes in these levels are mental, not necessarily physical.
It is also crucial that when you are in conditions orange and red that you maintain 360 degree awareness. Scan for other bad guys whom you have not yet noticed. Don’t become fixated on the single threat in front of you, but continue to check your flanks and your rear every 3-5 seconds to avoid being approached by a second threat. It’s common for bad guys to work as a team with one distracting you while the other sneaks up on you from behind.
Another key strategy in the art of "Paying Attention" is to trust your instincts. Gavin DeBeker, in his work The Gift of Fear, explains that we must trust our gut instincts about situations that don’t feel right. If something seems a little weird, it probably is, so use caution when that alarm goes off. He states that our senses often pick up data that our subconscious processes but that never gets to our conscious thoughts. The uneasiness caused by intuition is real, based on our senses, and should be respected. Trust your instincts.
Finally, developing the practice of remaining alert and keeping your head up in public makes you less desirable as a victim. Violent felons who were questioned in prison invariably chose as their victims those people who walked around with their eyes lowered, their heads down, and those unaware of their surroundings. More importantly, they avoided those people who went about their business with their heads up, their eyes alert, and with an obvious sense of awareness.
Anytime we leave our homes we need to purposefully notice everyone and everything in our immediate vicinity. While driving, notice the vehicles behind you. If you notice an unfamiliar vehicle following you, call the police and continue to drive in populated areas. Do not return to your home. When shopping or doing other business in public, notice people who appear out of place. Notice groups of people loitering and talking as they watch you approach. Notice people who may be dressed too warmly for the weather conditions. Notice people who are behaving nervously or secretively. When dining in restaurants, locate the exits as soon as you are seated. They can be used not only for avoiding violence, but also for escaping fires or other peril. When at work, notice anyone who does not belong there. If appropriate at your work place, ask them if you can help them and give them the opportunity to explain their business. Report your suspicions to a supervisor or security personnel as soon as possible.
By paying attention, we can not only see the fight coming earlier and have more time to develop a plan of action, but we can actually discourage the criminal element from targeting us as victims. There is no down side to paying attention. There is everything to gain and nothing to lose. And best of all, it’s free and it’s legal in all 50 states and in every country in the world. Just develop the habit.
Increase your odds of avoiding the fight, or ultimately winning the fight. Pay attention.
By Scott Gatlin
Many statements by victims of violent crime start with phrases like "He came out of nowhere." Or "I didn't see anything." It was as if the criminal appeared from thin air but we all know that isn't the case. Many of the victims are saying this on the scene but some are saying it from the back of an ambulance or from a hospital bed. They all had one thing in common ... they didn't pay attention.
One universal trait of warriors throughout history has been the unfailing habit of remaining alert and noticing what goes on around them. By being alert to our surroundings, by noticing the actions and body language of others, and by being aware of anything that appears to be unusual or out of place, we give ourselves several advantages. We increase our chances of avoiding confrontations with those who would try to rob or hurt us. We give ourselves more time to formulate a plan if a fight is inevitable. We insure more time to communicate with our friends or family before an unavoidable fight. And finally, we rob the bad guys of one of their most potent tools, the element of surprise.
One biblical account in the Old Testament illustrates the importance of alertness:
So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. The Lord said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." (Judges 7:5-7)
We must realize that anyone, any age, any place, at any time can develop the habit of paying attention to his surroundings. Being alert does not require any special physical skills, any weapons, or any minimum age. Anyone can do it anytime they are out in public. When each member of a family acquires this habit, more eyes can be used to observe a family’s surroundings and detect any potential problems. The earlier a potential problem is detected, the more options we may have to avoid or overcome the threat.
Jeff Cooper, a pioneer in the realm of personal defense, developed a system of mental color codes to describe our level of awareness and readiness to deal with potential threats. A key concept in this system is that we must be able to move up and down this scale as the conditions change around us.
Condition White describes our lowest level of alertness. We should never be out in public in condition white. People in condition white often walk with their heads down, unaware of their surroundings. They may be described as daydreaming. The only place we should allow ourselves to be in condition white is in our home behind locked doors.
Condition Yellow can be described as having your head up and your eyes open. You are relaxed yet alert and aware of your surroundings. You have no focal point and have not identified any potential threat. When someone observes you while you are condition yellow, they will realize that you are paying attention and that you will notice them if they approach you.
Condition Orange is an increased level of awareness with a specific focal point. You have noticed someone or something that has drawn your attention. That "thing" may be suspicious actions on the part of one or more people, something that appears to be out of place, or any other situation that just does not seem “right.” In condition orange, you have not yet decided to fight or take any other action, but you are focused on a potential threat.
In Condition Red you are prepared to fight. You may be physically inactive, but you have mentally committed to take action when your "line in the sand" is crossed. It is important to note that you may move up and down the scale from orange to red to orange without ever taking any physical action. The changes in these levels are mental, not necessarily physical.
It is also crucial that when you are in conditions orange and red that you maintain 360 degree awareness. Scan for other bad guys whom you have not yet noticed. Don’t become fixated on the single threat in front of you, but continue to check your flanks and your rear every 3-5 seconds to avoid being approached by a second threat. It’s common for bad guys to work as a team with one distracting you while the other sneaks up on you from behind.
Another key strategy in the art of "Paying Attention" is to trust your instincts. Gavin DeBeker, in his work The Gift of Fear, explains that we must trust our gut instincts about situations that don’t feel right. If something seems a little weird, it probably is, so use caution when that alarm goes off. He states that our senses often pick up data that our subconscious processes but that never gets to our conscious thoughts. The uneasiness caused by intuition is real, based on our senses, and should be respected. Trust your instincts.
Finally, developing the practice of remaining alert and keeping your head up in public makes you less desirable as a victim. Violent felons who were questioned in prison invariably chose as their victims those people who walked around with their eyes lowered, their heads down, and those unaware of their surroundings. More importantly, they avoided those people who went about their business with their heads up, their eyes alert, and with an obvious sense of awareness.
Anytime we leave our homes we need to purposefully notice everyone and everything in our immediate vicinity. While driving, notice the vehicles behind you. If you notice an unfamiliar vehicle following you, call the police and continue to drive in populated areas. Do not return to your home. When shopping or doing other business in public, notice people who appear out of place. Notice groups of people loitering and talking as they watch you approach. Notice people who may be dressed too warmly for the weather conditions. Notice people who are behaving nervously or secretively. When dining in restaurants, locate the exits as soon as you are seated. They can be used not only for avoiding violence, but also for escaping fires or other peril. When at work, notice anyone who does not belong there. If appropriate at your work place, ask them if you can help them and give them the opportunity to explain their business. Report your suspicions to a supervisor or security personnel as soon as possible.
By paying attention, we can not only see the fight coming earlier and have more time to develop a plan of action, but we can actually discourage the criminal element from targeting us as victims. There is no down side to paying attention. There is everything to gain and nothing to lose. And best of all, it’s free and it’s legal in all 50 states and in every country in the world. Just develop the habit.
Increase your odds of avoiding the fight, or ultimately winning the fight. Pay attention.
