The first part of this series discussed how your brain can affect you in times of threat and moved our “mindset shot group” closer to the bull’s-eye. This article will cover specific behaviors or environmental cues that might indicate an impending danger to safety. Just as there are stressors that trigger fear and anxiety within us, so too do bad guys show signs when they’re about ready for violence (though not always).
When these “fearful” moments arise just remember: You have enough time during those precious seconds before something terrible happens to enact a plan and get to safety. Even a bad plan put into motion is much better than a perfect plan that never makes it out of the gate.
To get an idea of what to look for, we’ll first need to understand the difference between overt and covert threats. Overt threats are those where the bad guy isn’t trying to conceal his or her intentions. Covert threats are when someone is trying to remain concealed, and their actions might be harder to spot. Both types of threat have different visual indicators you can use to help identify them.
Overt Threats
Overt threats are when the ne’er-do-well is openly exhibiting hostile behavior with the intention of causing harm — for example,
