Security 101 – Attention!
…deficit, that is.
You may know this already, but people just don’t pay attention like they should. Annoying, isn’t it? Well, it probably goes for you as well, like it or not, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today. Your very own attention deficit disorder.
While ADD isn’t something to joke (too much) about, I don’t think it’s inappropriate to adopt the term to our usage just for the sake of my little speech on today’s subject. The problem is this: people just don’t look up.
Whazzat, you say? Why would not looking up be a problem? Well, what I mean is, that people tend to fixate on themselves and what they’re doing, instead of looking up from the tip of their own nose and taking a look at what’s going on around them. This is one of the first things a good security guard or law enforcement officer learns. Look around,and pay attention. Watch the world as you pass through it, or as it passes around you, which ever the case may be from time to time.
Your Very Own List of the Excellent Security Benefits of Looking Up!
Nice headline, isn’t it? I thought so. I’m going to take you on a tour, in the form of a quick bullet list of things, of benefits to your very own security if you just pay attention, and look up once in a while. You ready? Let’s go, then.
– Solve crime! Be famous! Well. That might be taking things a little far, but the solve crime part might be true. People who pay attention to their surroundings and the people nearby are far more likely to see… things. Things that might, for example, help the police.
– See where you’re going, and be the life of every party! Maybe not that last bit, but a surprising number of crimes are chance things, and if you’re walking down the street, only “minding your own business”, then you’re setting yourself up for a fall. Watching the people who pass around you will signal to anyone watching you and that fancy new iPhone of yours that you’re not an easy target. Also, if you watch where you’re going, you won’t all over so much. Yea…you do that, don’t you. We knew it.
– Avoid being Beaten, Battered and Burned! This one is actually quite accurate. Sudden events that catch people off guard can kill them – and you, for that matter. Being aware of your surroundings means you have an exit strategy, which is important no matter what you’re doing. Even investment bankers know that. Know where you are, and how you can get out of there fast. Look for exits, fire escapes, windows that can be opened, etc. You get the idea, I’m sure.
– Get Rich Quick! Okay, that one is false. But paying attention not only helps you avoid stuff like pickpockets, robbers, rolling
boulders and fires, it will also help you get a leg up and see opportunities before the other people around you. An empty seat on the train, facing that pretty blonde with the nice rack? You saw it first. Also, if the train crashes, you’ll know where the emergency exit is, because you paid attention. Thus, you’ll get the girl out, and be her hero. That sort of thing pays off, you know. Wink, wink.
– Live long, and prosper. This one is (mostly) true. Studies have shown that people who are aware of their surrounding will generally have a lower stress level than those who are more concerned with studying the tips of their noses. Which, in turn, means you’ll outlive everyone as long as you just look around a bit. That’s how I choose to interpret it, anyway. You can do whatever you want.
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