Because we are alert, we see the armed bad guys as they approach our location from some distance away. Because of this alertness, we are able to take the necessary actions and, thus, have won the fight before it ever begins. On the other hand, if we are first aware of an armed threat when it is already upon us, there is a good possibility that we have already lost the fight.

Not long ago, a gang broke into a house, severely beat the home owner, and murdered the man’s wife and daughters. Later investigation showed that the gang had been stalking this family for quite some time. Unfortunately, no one was aware of this criminal attention until the crooks kicked in the door and beat the man unconscious. I am left to wonder how different the whole thing might have been if this family had been more alert to what was going on around them.

By remaining alert, we notice the people around us. In most cases, this simply helps us to identify friends and acquaintances before they see us. We offer a friendly greeting and soon gain a reputation for being a friendly sort of guy, with no one ever knowing the real purpose behind our actions.

Probably the worst thing we can do is to adopt the posture and facial expressions of the gunfighters that we’ve seen in the movies. This sort of conduct will be seen as ridiculous posturing by our friends and, in fact, will generally cause us to lose friends. With just a bit of practice, one can be alert to his surroundings and still have a relaxed, friendly expression and demeanor.

I once had to arrest an armed felon in a location where there was no available cover or concealment. I had no other option except to walk up to him and make the arrest. My choice was to get as ready as I could and then walk up to him with a smile on my face as if I didn’t have a care in the world. After taking him into custody, I asked this fellow why he had not taken the opportunity to draw on me. His reply was that my smile had confused him. He thought it was some kind of trick, that I knew something he didn’t, and that there was probably a police sniper nearby ready to kill him if he went for his gun.

It may be that we spend too much time trying to learn the skills necessary to shoot our way out of a bad situation and not enough time in learning to identify and avoid that situation entirely. One is really just as important as the other.

It is sound advice to remember that our greatest weapon lies between our ears. Guns, pepper spray, knives, clubs, and other weapons are merely the tools that we use to deal with deadly attacks. There is a military axiom that says a military commander may be forgiven for being defeated but never for being surprised. That is equally applicable to all of those who are concerned for their own personal security.

Therefore, alertness is important to the hunter and critical to the individual who is concerned about his personal defense. In the one case, the alert hunter is the one who generally brings in the game. In the other case, the citizen is the one able to identify a threat and has the time to work out a way to deal with it. If he must fight, his alertness allows him to fight smart. Success in either endeavor should be our goal.