It might be cheesy to open an article up with a quote from Sun Tzu’s Art of War, but it applies so well; if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. Today we are going to talk about knowing yourself through the lens of your enemy. The enemy being criminals. Using the criminal mindset to critically analyze your daily life is an excellent way to spot weaknesses and make corrections.
Adopting the Criminal Mindset
Seeing things through the eyes of a criminal takes some practice. Most of us don’t sit around considering how exactly we are going to rob a little old lady walking through a parking lot. However, Mr. Mugger, he does. He’s also plotting how he can take advantage of you. Criminals are predators, and unlike that badass alien who hunts commandos, a predator is not a badass. They are, however, perfectly okay using a toolset that you aren’t though, violence.
Predators look for weaker prey; by definition, they are “a person or group that ruthlessly exploits others.” To use the criminal mindset, you have to explore a darker element of the human mind. Feeling disturbed by this is natural. When using the criminal lens, you should think about who you could exploit at that moment. Who is the easiest person for me to get something from? This is the toolset that they are comfortable using while you are not.
Bad guys aren’t typically looking for a fight; they are looking for a quick score. When you take the time to adopt the criminal mindset, you should do it to observe the world around you and to examine yourself, your family, and your home.
