No one in their right mind wants to engage in close quarter combat unarmed, or armed with weapons other than firearms. I was attempting to point out that there is a necessity for a backup plan if and when firearms fail, or are not available. I observe in the majority of people, in person and online, a dependence on firearms with little serious thought or training to address any other form of self defense. I do not see this as a wise course of action, given that there is time to address this before the dire need arises.
Denial, and justification of denial, in order to not think, not act, no matter the logic of the threat possibilities, is quite common, and it will have horrific ramifications if we experience a societal breakdown where the threat of law enforcement vanishes.
Cannot find a teacher, don’t have time, delusional assurance concerning firearms and ammunition availability, it will not happen to me, weapons other than firearms aren’t really effective, especially against multiple opponents, I’ll just make a lot of explosives in my garage (when I magically acquire the knowledge and skills), I’ve heard all of this, and dismiss it as delusional justification to not think, not act while there is time to do so.
People speak of normalcy bias, but what does that really mean, what does it consist of?
Humans live in some degree of delusion concerning reality at all times. It waxes and wanes given the varied circumstances and states of mind that people experience in the day to day living of life. The human senses detect things in our physical reality. Through biological electro-chemical processes signals are sent from the sense organs to the brain. It is here that we give meaning, relative value, to the things we sense. Where does this meaning come from, and is it accurate? There are two main sources of meaning, personal experience, and preconceived knowledge, that is knowledge derived from others, in the present or from the past. All preconceived knowledge should be questioned as to accuracy. Why, because humans are animals of the ego manifestation, and emotional. Everything we think, the meanings, the values, the interconnections, all pass through the lens of the ego and the emotions. This implies that all knowledge derived from others is a product of how they see it, for myriad reasons. It is not an accurate description of the actuality of reality, it is tainted, inaccurate to some degree. How many accept the things they are taught at face value, the cultural teachings, the religious teachings, and even the science? Ones own thoughts are a blend of personal experience and preconceived knowledge, mixed up with the desires of our egos, and distorted by our emotions. We do not see reality as it really is, rather we see a delusion derived from many sources.
We, as humans, only catch glimpses of reality, only see it as a matter of degree, and one’s perception is one’s reality. We are always beset by the delusions of our own thinking, and that of others that we believe.
A person can accept distorted knowledge as accurate, reality, to the point that their thinking is indistinguishable from that of an insane person suffering from organic brain damage or disease. This I refer to as taught insanity, the realm of the modern day propagandist, whose only purpose is to distort perception of reality in order to manipulate, for political and/or monetary gain.
What does all this have to do with the original subject? Just this, who/what are you, what are your real capabilities? We are told who, and for the most part, what we are, what our potential capabilities are from numerous sources, in the now and from the past. These teachings form parameters for what we feel we are capable of, and therefore the actions we are willing to undertake. Sometimes we exceed these parameters and surprise ourselves at what we can do, but mostly we rattle along through life accepting the limitations placed upon us by others.
Firearms are relatively easy to employ, whereas other weapons take much more effort, and entail more perceived danger to the self. So from this perspective people tell themselves that they cannot effectively employ much of anything other than firearms, and some cannot bring themselves to even do that, instead depending on others to protect them.
Prepping, survivalism, to me is about perceiving reality as accurately as I can, the dangers, the needs, and a hierarchy of possible solutions for same. Hamstringing oneself, accepting the limitations of the self, taught by others, is at odds with effectively meeting the necessary challenges that one will invariably face in any shtf situation.
Firearms are effective but limited, there must be a plan ‘B’ that can be practiced, honed to the point that it is viable.
What logical, reasoned choice is there? If your firearm fails, run, beg for mercy, commit suicide? Consider if others, children, the old, the crippled, are dependent on you, and you are dependent on one form of defensive capability, that fails. Think long and hard about this now, while you have time and resources, don’t wait until the situation is critical to begin to question the wisdom of not being competent.
Believe in yourself, exceed the expectations, make the attempt, again and again, until you achieve some measure of success, then build upon that. Stop justifying and denying, that is a plague upon the psychology of man.