{"id":65,"date":"2011-07-07T21:36:34","date_gmt":"2011-07-08T02:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hcsblogdotorg.wordpress.com\/?p=65"},"modified":"2011-07-07T21:36:34","modified_gmt":"2011-07-08T02:36:34","slug":"routine-and-self-absorption-the-unseen-enemies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/2011\/07\/07\/routine-and-self-absorption-the-unseen-enemies\/","title":{"rendered":"Routine and Self-Absorption: The Unseen Enemies"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As we go about our daily lives in today’s world we must strive to stay aware of our surroundings as best we can. As we look at\u00a0Cooper’s Awareness Scale above, we can quickly deduce that most people we see everyday walk around in Condition White. Although it is unrealistic to think that people can continually walk around in Condition Yellow or Orange, we must STRIVE to constantly “sharpen” the knife of Awareness. This\u00a0rudimentary skill can often ruin a criminals intentions, because predators are ambush animals and often depend on surprise for their plans to work, by staying aware and staying away from stupid\u00a0places (places you know are not smart to be), you have greatly increased your odds. Tragically, these rudimentary and simple skill’s are\u00a0often\u00a0nullified by\u00a0two things common to all people, some more than others. These\u00a0two things can affect and offset a\u00a0person’s mentality to such a degree, most people never recognize them until it is too late. Let us remember the motto: \u00a0“Preparation not Paranoia\u00a0in All Things<\/strong><\/em>” as we take stock of ourselves.<\/p>\n

1. Routine<\/strong><\/p>\n

Human beings are creatures of habit..no way around it, no matter who you are, chances are you have some type of routine. When we look at what routines are, we find that they are often there because of two big reasons: convenience and comfort. Most people take a lot\u00a0of comfort in their routines, that is why, most people\u00a0raise hell when somebody tries to change them! The problem with routines is that\u00a0for the criminal and opportunist they make you an easy mark. Most criminal’s will hatch their schemes around your routine, knowing exactly, when you leave for work, when you get home, etc. The simple solution to this problem is that dreaded word: CHANGE. By changing our routines at least monthly, we can keep the predators guessing and stay one foot ahead of the opportunist.\u00a0Also when we stay flexible in our routines, we are taking on a very pro-active, \u00a0not reactive mindset. When we choose to take the action and not react\u00a0to somebody’s else’s actions, we are giving ourselves the edge in a defensive situation.<\/p>\n

2. Self-Absorption<\/strong><\/p>\n

Take a look around when\u00a0in the parking lot at\u00a0your local supermarket or\u00a0in your local coffee shop and you will see this really fast; \u00a0people “self-absorbed” to such a degree in their own lives, they rarely pay attention to anything around them. Just a few examples are: Talking on a cell phone (or using a laptop) in public\u00a0or arguing with a spouse\/friend in public. I want to center in on the cell phone\/laptop, as I feel\u00a0these are\u00a0the Number One biggest distraction devices in our society today. I can recall at least half a dozen instances in the\u00a0nation wide news\u00a0where somebody was either assaulted or murdered while using these devices in public. The reason: They were not paying attention to their surroundings and were self-absorbed in their own lives to such a degree, a stranger was able to either assault or murder them using surprise tactics, without much dispute. Now I am a realist, and I know people cannot stop just using their cell phones or laptops in public, but they can change HOW they use them. Here are a few tips:<\/p>\n