Hi all,
It’s book club time! I thought I’d mention The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker, as it’s a cracker.
It’s something of a nonfiction self-help classic, from 1997. It argues that we should learn to trust our gut instincts (above our thoughts) much more when it comes to assessing and responding to danger.
De Becker argues convincingly that learning to recognize warning signs and precursors to interpersonal violence allows us to avoid potential trauma and harm by acting intuitively.
He outlines what he describes as pre-incident indicators (PINS). By noticing these, and becoming more comfortable with gut instinct as a valuable source of data, we can better predict violence before it happens and, therefore, take the necessary precautions and actions to stay safe.
Classic violence related PINS include what De Becker terms perpetrator use of Forced Teaming, Charm and Niceness, Too many details, Typecasting, Loan Sharking, The Unsolicited Promise and Discounting the Word "No".
Taken together they offer some helpful signs to look out for in relation to real-world violence I think.
Overall, a very interesting read. Have a look and see if it has something to offer you, in terms of your own real-world protection.
Stay safe,
Syd