I went through a period in which I did this. I was training pretty heavily in what would now be called MMA. We emphasized training for “real life” situations, so a big part of my psyche was involved in how I would deal with any unexpected threat in any situation. Lots of different dynamics come up if someone/multiple attackers confront you in your car, in a crowd, in an elevator, on a stairwell… So walking down the street, I would be thinking about how I might react if various passersby came at me in different manners, in different combinations, and with various weapons. My options might change as the angles and such changed with every step… I always carried a knife when I was not going into secured locations (of which there were fewer in those days.)
When someone attains some level of competence in any martial art, I believe it is not uncommon for them to think of themselves as a badass. Not the goal, and not universal, but there is some macho satisfaction in knowing (correctly or not) that at a primal level, if it came down to it, you could best just about everyone you encounter. Hopefully, the student does not go the extra step of seeking out confrontations.
After some time (couple/few years?) I realized that wasn’t the mindset I wanted to have. I also realized how unlikely it was that I would encounter any of the threats I envisioned in the settings I frequented. And - ultimately - I had a serious of injuries which took me out of the type of training I had done.
Nowadays, I’m very aware of situations in which I might be vulnerable. Say on a dark street, I do not walk close to doorways and alley entrances, and am very aware of where another individual might be. My main mindset is in identifying avenues of escape - which was always a huge element of my mindset even when I was training. But other than that, in the overwhelming majority of where I lead my life, no, I do not size people up in terms of potential physical confrontations.
No, more like a general “threat assessment”, like “Is that person dangerous or normal?”, in a very quick and subconscious manner. The writer was saying that anyone who lived in an urban setting, who walked through crowds of people that they didn’t immediately recognize in order to get to their daily destination, did this. And that it could lead to additional levels of stress. Perhaps it is a load of crock, I don’t know…
Oh, well, that really is different; yes, I think most people do that, but I would have thought less in crowds than in places with few or no witnesses. But I don’t think that is at all the same as …
I don’t do it always, but if someone is significantly more physically imposing than me, I at least take the time to ponder how fucked I would be if they attacked me.
I do run that kind of assessment but it’s got nothing to do with size or with fights, it’s about the attitude. Sexual assaulters come in all sizes and genders but it won’t turn into a physical confrontation unless they surprise me so much my instincts take over.
I don’t judge a man by the color of his skin.
I judge him according to the size of his penis.
I’m 6 foot 2" and 90 lbs overweight. Indeed, as I know I am judged within a second or two of being seen by someone new, I do look at the physicality of men and women I meet.
Yeah, this is a good description of what I do. For my work I go into people’s homes, alone. Often I know nothing other than their name, address, phone number and primary diagnosis. I have no idea when I walk in if the patient (or a family member) is psychotic, schizophrenic, suffering from PTSD or running a meth lab (among other possibilities.) For pure self-preservation, I have to observe and note anything that can help me survive the encounter. I’ve been bit by dogs, had a family member tell me he spiked my coffee with a roofie, been groped , and feared for my life more than once. Hell yes, I am going to assess and evaluate the people I meet.
