You better be ready... Self-defense.

I've always been in the habit of fitting my earphones in my ear and having them attached to my phone whenever I'm leaving my apartment. People see that and think I'm lost in my own world but that's never the case because I don't have any sound coming out of the earphones once I'm outdoors.

Using earphones like that creates the illusion that I'm not conscious of the things happening in my environment, but that's never the case. I'm very alert to everything happening around me when I'm walking down any street because I'm always watching others to get an eyeful of who they are. Besides, I always have just one ear of my earphone plugged on while the other is left hanging around my ear.

I do that to give myself an extra layer of security because I know for a fact that there are people who wake up each day to attack careless folks in the street. These people are all about malevolence and they enjoy inflicting pain. They always creep up on people who are naive and rob them. That's something I'm aware of. So, I try as much as possible to not expose myself to situations like that.

You would be surprised by how much you would be able to know about people by just watching and looking them in the eye when you come face to face with them. That's particularly why I don't ever drop eye contact when I'm moving around. My ability to observe the environment makes it really easy to see when people start getting creepy. Knowing that is usually the first advantage you can give yourself in such situations.

You don't want to be caught in a situation where you are cowering and moving around like someone who isn't sure of what he's doing.

Once I detect that a weird set of folks are moving around in a fishy way on any street I'm walking on, I literally get myself ready for anything that could happen. I mostly prepare my mind for the worst possible outcome although what I've noticed especially when I'm in a completely new environment is that some of these folks checking you out from different corners are also smart enough to do their assignment before approaching.

In moments like that, if you show any fear or sign of cowardice, they will jump you and feast on your fears. However, if you keep bouncing with a demeanor that shows you are also on business while maintaining eye contact, a lot of them would read you as someone they wouldn't want to mess with either.

One thing you need to always have in mind when you notice someone who looks like he wants to come a little too close in the street is that even when you are seeing just that person, there may be a lot more of them in hidden places. A lot of them are like teenage bullies. They can't do shit alone. So, don't be too sensitive or reactionary. If it's not necessary, don't try to cause a scene. But, when it's obvious that he's going to pull some rubbish on you, make sure your first hit will land a knockout.

That will completely make others rethink joining the fight. Seriously, real life isn't Hollywood where the bullies will keep running toward you after knocking out the first one.

Here's an extra tip...

I always move around with a bunch of keys in my hand. I have this bunch that holds all the keys I've been using since 12 years ago when I was still in boarding school and I still use that bunch of key to this day. When I move around with them in hand, it's partly because I don't want to forget the key anywhere. Another reason is that keys are highly underrated as a self-defense tool.

I always say that no sane person would ever pray to come across chaotic situations. But, better be ready when it happens.

Thanks For Not Missing Any Full-stop or Comma.
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