Survival Awareness
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Note: This was a very difficult post to write as I did not want to come off ridiculous or leading the reader to believe that I am paranoid or a nutcase. Oh well – did the best I could.
Ever since I was a teenager I always thought I was a little different than my friends. Of course – one thing that was different was my concern over the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. This is where my interest in survivalism came from. I was concerned about a nuclear war happening while my buddies were mostly occupied with playing Pac-Man or Asteroids.
One other thing that made me feel different than many of my friends was awareness. What is awareness? Simply – it is the knowledge of what is going on around you.
Whether it’s riding the “T” in Boston or walking the streets in Charlotte NC – I make an effort to be aware of what is going on around me. I do not just watch and look at things in my environment – I listen as well.
What kinds of things?
- Location of vehicles – moving or not in relation to my location.
- Paying attention to people around me – specifically:
- Where people are.
- Are they in groups.
- What are they looking at?
- Where are they walking?
- Are they just standing in one place?
- Who are they talking to?
- Who are they looking at?
- Are they dressed appropriately for the weather?
- There are lots more.
I try to have a heightened sense of awareness for many of the same reasons why people carry concealed – they want to protect themselves and their family. If people were more aware of their surroundings there would be far fewer crimes such as rapes and carjackings.
How can you increase your awareness?
- Use your peripheral vision. Peripheral vision is what you see on the side of wherever you are looking. Many times things happen NOT directly in front of you. With just a little practice – you can use your peripheral vision to make observations and “see” more. Try this – look straight ahead and look at an object. Now – observe a pet or a child do something directly to the left and right of you. You may not see extreme details – however you may soon see more than you used to.
- Listen.Listening is one of the most undervalued methods of observation. How many time have you been walking down the street and heard a loud racing engine of a car and looked to see a speeding vehicle? This is what I am talking about – but on another scale. Whether it be footsteps in a parking garage or the sound of an argument one aisle over in he grocery store – be aware. Listening may allow you to be aware of that mugger waiting around the corner in the parking garage or keep you out of the grocery store aisle where an aurgument turns violent.
- Scan.Direct vision does not have to appear so direct. Walking through a park or a busy city – you can look around and see a lot if you pay attention. You do not need to look directly at something to see it. You can look at something while turning to look at something else. An example: Your at the park with your children. It would be very natural for you to be looking around watching your children run and play. While watching your kids – observe the people around you. You may see something such as that man leaning up against a tree taking pictures, or that women with a baby carriage and no baby.
In no way am I talking about paranoia. It is really just being aware of what is going on around you so that you may be able to prevent something bad from happening- to you or to a loved one.
Rourke
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By Badvoodoodaddy, January 11, 2011 @ 7:20 am
Rourke, I am glad that someone else felt the same way as I did about the Cold War, I used to think that It was kind of weird that I felt like that about it. It’s a good thing that it comes natural for you. I had to be trained to notice those things. Listen and Look is a very good way to stay safe. Great post.
By 3rdman, January 11, 2011 @ 8:08 am
Your not paranoid or a nutcase!
The things that you state are common sense, but most people have lost this in their secure and high tech worlds. This is the same information that LEOs learn in the academy and reenforced in field training. We also see this taught in women’s self defense training classes. Heck if I did not know better I would think you were an LEO by reading your post, and if not why not! Something else I found interesting was your interest in the cold war, man that was me growing up. I would have to say that the cold war was what got me interested in the survival topic also. Damn I miss the cold war, things were so much simpler then with us and the evil empire. Oh how I miss the good old days! Also I think were about the same age as well, I’m 45.
By DC Josh, January 11, 2011 @ 9:17 am
Rourke,
Great post. If more people practiced personal awareness and were more cognizant of their surroundings, I feel that there would be less crime as the criminals would not feel that had easy targets to take advantage of.
-DC Josh
By Wisewolf, January 11, 2011 @ 10:00 am
You’re only paranoid if you turn around and there’s no one there.
By Sheepdog, January 11, 2011 @ 11:01 am
Great post Rourke. I spend a lot of my class time teaching my students about situational awareness! Good job, keep up the good work.
By SheepDawg, January 11, 2011 @ 12:03 pm
I have always do this, too. Finally, I learned that it has been, and is being studied formally. There are several good books on the subject which validate these feeling and practices – Subconscious Processing. Two of the best books are “The Gift of Fear” by Gavin de Becker and “Blink” by Malcom Gladwell. I think these books are a must read! Especially for females, older teens and young adults! It validates the old Zen and martial arts teaching of ‘being in touch with yourself, puts you in touch with your surroundings’. They illustrate how you are actually aware of most of the things, bad and good, that are happening or about to happen around you, but we usually intellectualize and ignore these feelings, and that is what puts us at risk.
Great reading, especially for the preparedness minded.
SheepDawg
By Patriot One, January 11, 2011 @ 2:38 pm
Rourke
That was a great article, not paranoid. I’m the same way. My wife thinks I don’t pay enough attention to her when we are out in public because I’m always scanning my surroundings and the people in it. Having a fine looking wife persents challenges in public. If I step a few feet away and just watch she will be approached within minutes.
She thinks everyone is, “just nice”. I always have to ask her if they are “just nice”, why are they only nice when they think she is alone? While she has a carry permit and knows how to use her weapon, I don’t let her carry because of her “lack of awareness”.
To me awareness is not a paranoid state of mind, but a safe state of mind. I can’t count the number of times being aware has kept me safe and out of harms way. Most of us are here because we are aware. We can see what is coming and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why so many others can’t see it. Awareness!!!
By Rourke, January 11, 2011 @ 3:11 pm
Patriot One –
Thanks for the comments. I have a similiar problem – except I am the good looking one and always getting approached…..lol!
Take care – Rourke
By Rourke, January 11, 2011 @ 3:46 pm
Thanks Sheepdawg!
Rourke
By GoneWithTheWind, January 11, 2011 @ 4:01 pm
Look for people looking at you or who suddenly turn away or look at everything BUT you. Most people simply either look around or look off in the distance (1000 yd stare), or maybe read. But the thug is looking for a victim and is aware that this very action could be a “tell” to the victim. So after they spot you they will only watch you with their peripheral vision. This “phase” is a bad sign because it means they have selected you. In 90% of the cases of attacks there is a co-conspiritor. If you see one suspicious guy look for another. Look for some signaling, it can be obvious like a hand gesture or nod or it could be less obvious where the two look at each other then at the mark. Look for a distraction, a musician in the subway distracting riders.
By Grill Sgt., January 11, 2011 @ 5:02 pm
I served during the Cold War. I was in Army Intelligence. While in Europe, we had to deal with the Red Army Faction, Red Brigade, CCC, as well as Czech, Soviet, and Stazi operatives stiring the pot, so to speak. Every morning, we would have to do a walk around our POV’s to see if there were devices attached underneath. We often walked through our housing areas to check all the fire extinguishers to see if they were rigged. It was my responsibility to brief incoming dependants about the threat of terrorism, and foreign agents who may try to compromise a soldier by using his family. Physical security was also a concern. In Germany, it was a felony to leave your car, or house unlocked; it was called contributory negligence. If we believed we were being followed, we were to deviate from our course, in an effort to assertain if we had a tail. We were to avoid letting ourselves develope a routine, including using a different route each time we drove anywhere. You get the idea. Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean you havn’t become a target.
By SuperDave, January 11, 2011 @ 8:48 pm
Great post. I can totally relate with you on the awareness. Some of my friends say i’m paranoid, i’m not, just cautious. I was in the McDonalds in San Yisidro, Ca. hours before the mass shooting many years ago, and that really hit me hard. I decided I wouldn’t be someone cowering and hiding. I’m always prepared, and totally aware of my surroundings now. Again, great article
By Ollamha Anne, January 11, 2011 @ 10:01 pm
As a girl growing up in a big city in the downtown core, my dad early taught me the importance of situational awareness. One thing he taught me was to notice people who were watching. He told me that predators are always very watchful while trying to look casual, looking for a victim and gave me lots of tips on how to not be a victim. Many times over the years, these tips have saved me from dangerous situations, and allowed me to help others avoid dangerous situations.
How did Dad know all this stuff? Learned the hard way growing up in the same neighborhoods when he was a kid.
One thing Dad told me is that a knee in the crotch isn’t always possible or you might be in a situation where you can’t apply enough force to make it count. However, he told me that if you are able to do it, biting an attacker’s nose as high up on the nose as possible as hard as possible until he loses consciousness might save my life. I haven’t had to try this so I can’t verify whether this would actually work.
By William, January 11, 2011 @ 10:33 pm
Just being perceived, by the BG’s, that you are aware of your surroundings is usually enough to keep them at bay. BG’s want to catch you totally unawares.
By majorB, January 11, 2011 @ 11:04 pm
Good post. My awareness habits came from an incident in high school when I was working at a Valvoline. We were held up at gun point, and I had been pistol-whipped for not opening the register fast enough. Since that event, I find that I’m always aware of everything. Cars (parked or not), people and their behaviors/conversations. If a guy or a group of them are walking towards me, without even realizing it, I start sizing up the situation and how I’d defend myself. “If they come at me like this, I’ll do that…” sort of thinking. My wife thinks I’m a freak, but after experiencing the helplessness of having a gun pointed in your face, you do whatever you can to make sure you see it coming next time.
By Scott R, January 12, 2011 @ 1:55 am
Rourke good article and no your spot on with the cold war, many of us I think looked at it in the way you did. On the article I believe one of the biggest issues people have with their SA is the belief that they just think that nothing will ever happen to them, it’s always the other person that something happens to. That’s why most people just do not pay attention..
By Scot, January 13, 2011 @ 10:10 am
Great advice! You’re not paranoid. I’ve always naturaly done this and it has helped me advoid( or at least prepare for) a few unwanted encounters.