Why
Before the training, gear, guns, knives, lights, and other equipment that come with self defense, it first must be understood why such tools are necessary, and what are the ends met by these means.
I am not a philosopher, nor am I a psychologist or sociologist. I only have my own experiences to expand upon, and my observations have lead me to several conclusions of the world and our place in it.
The first is that there we must survive. Survival will predicate the rest of this post, and this blog. It’s always a good time to reflect on what in your life is worth destroying that which threatens it. For some it is the love of a spouse, children, a family, friends who’s love overwhelmingly justifies a fight to survive. For others, it’s country, a community. In my early twenties, I will survive for what I can further contribute. I live to honor my parents and my friends. I’m sure these values will change slightly, but it’s different for everyone. I believe some live only for what they can take from others. Which leads me to my next point.
Evil exists. So often, specifically in my world of the fantasy of academia, there is a perfectly good reason or rationality for almost every terrible event that occurs. There is always an excuse; religious extremism, lone wolf terror, poverty, racism, etc. In the context of self preservation: none of that matters regardless of what you believe to be rational or not. I believe that no one does anything that they deem to be purely evil. There is always a “good” reason to commit an evil act, depending on a certain perspective. But when you are on the receiving end of that action, you must consider your life primarily and why you need to preserve it before you reconcile the motives of your aggressor. With that in mind, evil can take on many forms, and many threats. It is our obligation to overcome it regardless.
I’m not proclaiming this statement to be absolute, simply my thoughts. With that out of the way, we can get into some more of the fun stuff.