The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - When does situational awareness become paranoia?

OF · April 12, 2005, 10:44 AM

You're getting used to a new awareness, a new way of thinking about your place in the world and your surroundings, just like you're getting used to the weight of the gun. This is totally normal. Eventually this heightened awareness ('condition yellow' is what it's called) becomes very natural and will no longer affect you in the unnerving way that it is now.

The gun is sort of a catalyst helping to create this change in your way of looking at the world, it's weird now but you just need to carry for a while to see that nothing has changed but the fact that you have a gun and your perception.

Just remember that you're in no more danger now than you ever were, you just have your eyes open so it seems worse. This actually means that your potential for a nasty encounter is far far less than it was as your dormant danger radar is finally switched on and you will be able to detect potential bad situations more quickly than you used to. The surge of paranoia you are experiencing is just your mind getting used to this new tool (awareness/'danger radar') that it has not used before.

Not only is your ability to avoid danger now significantly improved, if an encounter becomes unavoidable, you are finally in a position to have an option to save yourself or others if need be. Once you realize this and accept it, you should start to relax. You're not in more danger, you are in less danger. The threats in your neighboorhood are diminished due to the fact that you are looking less like food now than you did. This is good.

So, yes, you'll relax over time, but still (hopefully) retain that sense of 'plugged in'-ness and awareness to the happenings around you, only it will become almost sub-conscious. You're replacing ignorance with awareness and want to keep a little healthy caution. You are leaving the world of the sheep and entering the world of the sheepdog. Depending on how much of a 'condition white'-type person you were before, it can be like a thin veil being lifted or it can be seriously overwhelming - as it seems like you are experiencing, but you'll calm down after a bit.

- Gabe

PS: Take your hand off the gun. Bad idea...unless you really have reason to believe you are in imminent danger.

April 12, 2005, 10:44 AM	#24
OF Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2000 Posts: 2,239	You're getting used to a new awareness, a new way of thinking about your place in the world and your surroundings, just like you're getting used to the weight of the gun. This is totally normal. Eventually this heightened awareness ('condition yellow' is what it's called) becomes very natural and will no longer affect you in the unnerving way that it is now. The gun is sort of a catalyst helping to create this change in your way of looking at the world, it's weird now but you just need to carry for a while to see that nothing has changed but the fact that you have a gun and your perception. Just remember that you're in no more danger now than you ever were, you just have your eyes open so it seems worse. This actually means that your potential for a nasty encounter is far far less than it was as your dormant danger radar is finally switched on and you will be able to detect potential bad situations more quickly than you used to. The surge of paranoia you are experiencing is just your mind getting used to this new tool (awareness/'danger radar') that it has not used before. Not only is your ability to avoid danger now significantly improved, if an encounter becomes unavoidable, you are finally in a position to have an option to save yourself or others if need be. Once you realize this and accept it, you should start to relax. You're not in more danger, you are in less danger. The threats in your neighboorhood are diminished due to the fact that you are looking less like food now than you did. This is good. So, yes, you'll relax over time, but still (hopefully) retain that sense of 'plugged in'-ness and awareness to the happenings around you, only it will become almost sub-conscious. You're replacing ignorance with awareness and want to keep a little healthy caution. You are leaving the world of the sheep and entering the world of the sheepdog. Depending on how much of a 'condition white'-type person you were before, it can be like a thin veil being lifted or it can be seriously overwhelming - as it seems like you are experiencing, but you'll calm down after a bit. - Gabe PS: Take your hand off the gun. Bad idea...unless you really have reason to believe you are in imminent danger.