Monday, January 20, 2014

Two Smart Guys

I listen to podcasts when I get ready for work in the morning.  I'm not a morning person, & listening to intelligent conversations and stories helps my brain wake up.  One of my favorites is "Martial Secrets", with Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder.

These guys have a great depth of knowledge and a friendly, laid-back, no bullshit attitude that is very appealing, and they interview excellent guests.  

There's one episode in particular I want to steer you toward, and here's why…

If you've ever tried to help your family or friends take more responsibility for their own safety, to be more careful out in the world, but they give you every martial artist & cop's favorite response "You're just paranoid", you have probably just experienced something called proximity bias.  This is when someone close to you won't listen to your advice because they're close to you. You may be an expert to the rest of the world, but to this person you're just their friend-son-cousin-whatever, so how could you possibly know?  It's incredibly frustrating.  If you've experienced this, I have a gift for you:

If you click on the "Martial Secrets" link it will take you to a podcast episode where the hosts discuss a recent attempted kidnapping of a teenager near her school.  They talk about what a predator is, and advise listeners - particularly teens, the attacker's apparent target - how to stay safe.  The episode is filled with practical non-nonsense advice, and at just under 20 minutes it's perfect for a listen in the car on the way to run errands.  

It's a fantastic introduction to the concepts of predatory violence, recognizing the predatory mindset and how to protect yourself.  

The specific crime they're discussing happened in Seattle, but the situation occurs anywhere and everywhere, including where you live.  

Listen to it, pass it along…stay safe out there.