Be Alert

We Need All The Lerts We Can Get

One of the most important aspects of general competence, not to mention self defense, is alertness.

"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come." ~ Confucius

One of the most overlooked aspect of life in general and safety in particular is alertness. Seeing what's going on around you is helpful and necessary for keeping alive, yet people are not trained in it. You might expect that children in school would be periodically challenged to improve theirs since it's one of the many keys to successful living, but I don't think it is even on the school's radar.

A co-worker who was being raised in Montana would be challenged by his father by, for example, being asked how many cows were in the field that they had just passed. Over time he became more alert and would make more of a habit of taking note of his surroundings. I would maintain that that is a useful game for us to play with our kids, and many people do play games like that or of a similar nature.

The fact that schools do not have a program to foster the development of alertness says something about those in charge of what's taught, basically that they don't see it as something to work on. Maybe they assume that one's alertness level is just inherent and cannot be changed, but more likely they haven't thought about it. I think it's a skill that can be taught to anyone, with of course varying degrees of success.

Incidentally, see my essay on things that might be in schools, but aren't. The idea put forth is to expose children to the techniques the powerful use to control people so they will be less easily controlled, and to learn some things that may help fight against it.

https://drp314.substack.com/p/things-not-taught-in-school

We may all work to increase our alertness much as we may work to improve any of our abilities or mind-sets. For any skill you wish to acquire the skill itself must be practiced, and the repetitive nature of the practice will change you. My essay on that subject.

https://drp314.substack.com/p/the-rudder-of-destiny

With that in mind we might try, during our daily routines, to perform exercises to increase it, but keep that at a low, comfortable level so it doesn't become an annoyance. Ask yourself if you noticed the gas price on the last gas station sign you passed, what was the color of the exterior of the restaurant you were in this morning? When entering a room or going outside just sweep your head once side to side just to see what you see. With practice you get better. The saying is “keep your head on a swivel,” meaning constantly look around and notice things.

Many of you reading this already act in this way, and I need to say that I don't wish to be condescending – I need much improvement in this as well as many other fields. I wanted to bring the idea of alertness to the attention of those who may not have considered it's importance.

Train your children in alertness much as my friends father did by asking them what they saw, heard or remember, but it will need a fine touch so as to not be too annoying, Make a game out of it. There is a strong self defense aspect to it. Be alert, but don't be paranoid.

"If it is ever your misfortune to be attacked, alertness will have given you a little warning, decisiveness will have given you a proper course to pursue, and if that course is to counterattack, carry it out with everything you've got! Be indignant. Be angry. Be aggressive." ~ Jeff Cooper

In Jeff Cooper's book The Principles of Personal Defense he describes alertness as one of the important principles. With it one knows when to become alert to a danger that one would have missed otherwise. It can include things like making a habit of looking at the reflections in store windows while walking down the street, and thinking about where would be a good spot to perform a mugging if you were a mugger or how one would go about some other crime, but don't let it make you paranoid.

https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Personal-Defense-Jeff-Cooper/dp/1581604955

It's especially important for soldiers:

"In order to drill into young men the need to stay alert and stay alive, I used to punish offenders with my fists, boots and rifle butt, and with stockade time." ~ David Hackworth

Becoming more alert goes along with a general philosophy of trying to incrementally change and improve oneself. To some people that is important and to others it isn't, but if it is then alertness is one of many facets that may be polished. If you take the cowardly path you become cowardly, if you take the courageous path you become courageous, for instance.

Stay Brave, Stay Free