A long time ago I wrote a post titled Never Be A Soft Target which was pretty self-explanatory since then I delved a little deeper into some of the best ways to do this as well as general self-defense principles. I wanted to delve a little deeper into a few aspects of this topic and talk a little bit more about how to avoid being a target. Also understand that you don’t have to live in some war torn country for this stuff to effect you. Shit can go down in the suburbs just as well.
Also as far as Western nations go things seem to be trending more and more towards instability, even in places that were never affected by it before. The disease of the city spreads far and wide affecting the countryside around it. Again just understand that just because you live in a gated neighborhood, a small town, or believe all the right liberal causes doesn’t mean that you can’t be a target if you’re not smart.
This isn’t to make you paranoid or think you have to move to the woods and be a prepper or anything like that. Just some basic understanding to have that’ll serve you well in life. With taking a few things into consideration you can drastically improve your chances of never being a target and being safe, as well as sharing such things with your family and loved ones so they too can avoid being a target and eventually a victim. So with that being said let’s get into it.
Rule Number One
But before we get into the “main focus” of this article let’s talk a little bit about rule number one when it comes to not being a target, staying safe, and self-defense in general. And that is staying aware of your surroundings and what is going on around you. Naivety and being unaware can be just as punishing for an individual as any other vice out there (yes I’m calling naivety a vice, at least according to nature and how the world actually works).
Understand your surroundings and the people around you. Understand that traveling alone increases your chances of becoming a target, being a woman increases your chances, not being the majority race/culture in that particular area increases your chances, and so on and so forth. Awareness is key to not put yourself in situations where you’re more likely to be a target. It might mean paying more for parking, driving that extra hour, or a whole bunch of other things but its worth its weight in gold.
After awareness come avoidance. The two go hand in hand together. After all if you’re aware of a danger and go blindly skipping into it, then that awareness didn’t do you much good now did it? So you have to be aware of what’s going on around you as well as take steps to avoid situations that might cause trouble. Doesn’t mean be paranoid or anything like that, just be aware and be smart.
With That Being Said
But with that being said what if you do end up in a situation that looks like it could be a problem? What’s the best way to act if avoidance isn’t a possibility? Well a couple of different things here. First off I’m not an expert on the subject these are just some observations. But like I was saying, what you don’t to be is tense or nervous. You don’t want to show weak posture or weakness of any kind. These are signals to predators to attack.
Eyes looking down at the ground, jumping at every sound and movement, being overly tense and like you’re ready to fight at a moment’s notice. These are all things that’ll send signals to predators that you’re a good target to attack. So what should you do then? After all it’s a stressful situation so such reactions are only natural (but still must be overcome). The attitude you want to project is relaxed and confident (but not disrespectful).
Just as if they did decide to attack, well hey it’d be a bad day for them. You’re relaxed and confident. Those are two separate things but both important. Notice I didn’t say cocky, arrogant, or confrontational nor did I say unaware, blissful, or dazed. I said relaxed and I said confident. As a man who’s living comes in from a combination of copywriting, fiction writing, and columns for a blog I choose my words very specifically. Relaxed and confident.
Increasing Your Safety
When you’re relaxed and confident it’ll increase the chances they’ll think that you or whoever you’re with isn’t worth it and moving on to another target will be better. Again, like I said it increases the chances, nothing is guaranteed. This isn’t a prescription to be stupid or anything like that. When you’r relaxed and confident you send off vibes that are the opposite of a victim, the opposite of weakness.
In a weird way sort of like you were at a comedy club and the comedian was picking on you. When you get all tense and defensive is when they double down. When you stay chill and laugh if off is when they leave you alone. Granted it’s not the exact same and there are certainly differences (not telling you to laugh, just to be relaxed and confident). You give off a different “vibe” then prey does when you’re relaxed and confident. Something to keep in mind. Doesn’t make you invulnerable but it helps to keep you safe.
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-Charles Sledge
