In today’s world, we’ve seen countless instances of extreme violence, financial despair, severe mental illness, and devastating natural disasters. Throw in a recent pandemic with suffocating global restrictions, shocking street violence seemingly happening daily, large destructive urban protests, mass shootings, and you come to realize you’re mostly alone in this world. If you’re able to make a call for help, by the time it is answered, there’s a good chance you’ll already be in too much trouble to be saved. It’s a sobering realization, but an important one.
A suicidal madman with a gun, knife or car.
A deranged, homeless lunatic on the street.
An extremist terrorist hell bent on murder.
An angry mob turned violent.
An intense natural disaster near your home.
A supply shortage preventing you from getting food or medicine.
A woke attack on your character and livelihood.
A recession or market crash that crushes your industry.
All of these situations are happening every day, and all of them can impact you and your family with devastating consequences. How do you safeguard yourself from this? It all starts with implementing a mental framework independence and action. Come to grips with the realization that nobody is coming to save you. There will be no lifeline.
The only superhero in your story is you.
If you really care about the well being of your family and yourself, you absolutely will take action right now. You won’t put it off another day, hoping this is all hype and it’ll all “be fine”. You will recognize that all of aforementioned situations are really happening daily, and can absolutely happen to you. Finally accepting this reality will compel you to take action. Here are seven ways to become harder to kill:
- Solidify Your Finances. Budget and save your money. Analyze your expenses and cut unnecessary bills. Put money away. Ensure you have at least six months of expenses in savings, minimum. I recommend a year when possible. If you can’t make ends meet, find a second (or third) stream of income. It could mean taking a part time job somewhere, starting an online business, or doing odd jobs like driving Uber. Do NOT take chances here. Unforeseen events can cripple your financial well being, and you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re living off the government.
- Strengthen your body. Can you run a mile straight if you had to? Could you physically lift up your children or wife? Can you pull yourself up? Do you know how to throw a punch? Are you able to defend yourself? Do you have low energy levels? Are you prone to illness or disease? Let’s face it, you don’t have much without your physical health. Put together a plan to get lean, build muscle, and become healthier. Small daily improvements will make you a new man in six months. The longer you wait to do this, the greater the risk to your physical well being.
- Arm Yourself and Practice. In the case of a violent attack, could you go toe to toe with your armed assailant, or will you be a sitting duck waiting to be slaughtered? Two things you can to do increase your odds of survival are learning some type of martial art / fighting style, and becoming proficient in using a weapon. Boxing is a fundamental skill in most mixed martial arts, as the ability to throw technically sound punches is highly effective in most situations. Street fights generally don’t last long, so if you know how to box you can potentially end the threat fast. As for using a weapon, firearms, knives or a baton can supplement your physical training. Have at least one session where a trained professional instructs you on safe and proper usage of the weapon.
- Check Supplies and Stock Up. Do you have food, water and essentials for a three month period in case some shortage or supply disruption impacts your area? We saw it before with toilet paper, PPE and cleaning supplies. Not sure if you’re aware, but several farms and factories have been burnt to the ground in 2022. Unless you own your own farm, how would you survive? Expect empty shelves in stores. For reference, New York City stores and supermarkets only carry roughly three days of supplies at a time, and most supermarkets would run out of food in three days if truckers stopped working. Pro tip: have a big out bag packed with essentials in case you ever have to quickly exit your home, and have an escape plan with any members of your household. If we experience a nuclear attack, read this on how to prepare.
- Inform Yourself. Now I’m not saying to consume Fox News and CNN like your life depends on it, but understand what’s happening in the world and in your local area so you aren’t caught off guard by potential severe weather, supply chain issues, or violent protests. It’s a good idea to make alliances in your neighborhood, too. This will give you intel about issues in your area, and potential helping hands if there’s a need to band together. “Concrete Jungle” by Green Beret Clay Martin is a great read that digs deep into these topics.
- Be Observant and Mind Your Surroundings. Knowing your environment is crucial to surviving most dangerous situations. This includes awareness of where exits are, who is around you, what you can use as a weapon, and who you can team up with in the event of an attack or disaster. I highly recommend reading professional opinions on this topic. Former CIA Agent Jason Hanson’s book “Survive Like a Spy” goes into great detail about ways to be more observant and things to look for.
- Protect Your Data and Avoid Cancelation. All threats are not created equal. You may never face the physical danger of random street violence, an act of terror, or a natural disaster. However, at some point you could find yourself up against attacks on your character or livelihood. Protecting your digital identity and minimizing your risk of “woke” cancelation is a good idea in today’s world. Outside of purchasing a credit monitoring plan from a company like Lifelock, there are steps you can take to reduce access to your digital footprint and protect your online privacy. Enteringmanhood wrote an article on ways to take back your privacy that is worth a look. In the dating world, avoiding a “metoo” ambush is critical. This piece here examines ways to safeguard yourself from a deranged feminist.
It’s a dangerous world out there, and it’s only getting worse. As a man, the onus is on you to become as strong as possible. Be hard to kill.
“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general.”
– Mark Rippetoe
-Your Big Bro
