Okay, let’s bring this back to my world – the world of self defense. I need to beg your indulgence and forgiveness for something I have done in the past, something I vow here to never to do again. From this date forward, I will do my best never to second guess a survivor. “Well, if you’d only (said this, done that, moved this way or asserted yourself in that way)…”
That’s an expert’s lie. It’s a trap I’ve fallen into in the past, to my shame. Because it is a lie. It presupposes that the expert can somehow see down an untaken road into a future that never happened. But she can’t see down that road any more than you could, either in the past or today. An expert does have some specialized knowledge, but she can’t see into the future, not even an unchosen future.
Go read. We analyze what happened and learn for future possibilities. Not for “He should have done this“.. but for the “I may want to try this alternative IF faced with the same situation to get a better outcome.”
Of course, we may never face that “What If..” Life is cruel that way.
If one can leave ego aside (” No Shit, There I Was, ther was 5 of ’em..”) for the sake of a good story, the standard to apply is “What’s the mission ?” What is the essential, bottom-line goal ? What *has* to happen in order to acceptably survive? It will be based on what you know at the time with whatever tools and skills you bring and Fate provides. And in whatever amount of time Fate (fickle thing that she is) allows.
Period.
You only get to respond with what you have, so….. What’s the Mission? It’s a pass/fail question, no style points.
BINGO!
My mission is to get back home, hug my wife and sleep in my bed….or suitable variations of the theme. I am NOT a warrior, nor I seek the cheer of the crowds.
The ancient Greek warrior/poet Archilochus said:
Humans don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.
The drivers in front of me yesterday had not explored the limits of the anti-lock braking system of their cars. I easily avoided the freeway blocking wreck while they made a big smash up. (I was able to give some quick training to the Dodge Ram driver tailgating me—sorry redundant—and we both escaped.)
Train and prepare and, if you’re lucky, you will have prepared for the correct emergency.