The title 'How To Be Safe In An Unsafe World' caught my attention. In the aftermath of September 11, isn't this the topic uppermost in most minds? The book, I realized, tackles fear not just from terrorism, as a '911' syndrome, but what we experience due to increasing violence in the home and in the streets. Fear that is making people virtual prisoners in their homes.
Author and psychiatrist Dr. Harold H. Bloomfield and Dr. Robert K. Cooper write about violence we encounter daily, and offer solutions to avoid and tackle this – solutions greatly governed by the Bhagvad Gita's 'Avert the danger that has not yet come'. The solution, therefore, is not 'wait to be attacked and then retaliate' – but to be aware. The writers admit there is no magic potion for personal safety – it is a combination of awareness, skill, ingenuity, and some luck.
To prepare us for what is termed 'Safety Intelligence,' the book points out that a sense of emotional safety is important, and has its foundation in our homes and in our workplace. We have to teach our children 'inner safety' and caution them, but without getting them paranoid.
Highlighted is the difference between being a victim of an attack and of escaping it. The latter includes calm alertness and confident movements in the face of verbal conflict or physical danger. At the beginning of every conflict, we are reminded we all face a critical moment of choice and of how to react.
At the first sign of conflict the golden rule is: a split-second pause before reacting. This time is to be used to refocus negative emotional energy and for creative or positive thinking. If that doesn't work, we are advised to move away from the scene when possible, like in an argument, and either take a brief walk, say a prayer or reflect. Our anger, the writers say, should be channeled constructively and to help us, suggest a moniker such as:
ACE: A: Assess; Accurately; C: Choose Constructively; E: Express Effectively.
Various scenarios of attacks we are likely to encounter are discussed as are ways of reacting to them. These include being mugged, held at gunpoint, getting into an argument, being followed, grabbed or stalked by a predator, etc.
Of course, a fair dose of fear can be healthy, even life-saving when it does not pay to be foolhardy. It is better to be cautious and avoid a dangerous, hostile situation. At the same time, a growing sense of fear by reading and seeing all that appears in the media can lead to emotional and physical stress.
A very high percentage of people are susceptible to being victims of hostility, but even a larger number are afraid of 'being attacked.' How To Be Safe In An Unsafe World shows how to convert the anxiety we experience when feeling threatened into a state of heightened awareness, calm energy, and positive power. The book simplifies the fact that it only takes seven seconds
for an attacker to size up a potential victim, and that by even changing the way you walk, you can daunt the chances of being assaulted.
Further, we are told that the solution to personal safety does not lie in trying to change other people. What does help is by applying our personal spiritual philosophy instead of resorting to anger, impatience, or anxiety. We have to master the art of protecting ourselves without harming others.
Most useful are the 10 ways listed 'to be safer in an unsafe world'. These list simple reactions such as bystanders likely to come to your aid if you shout 'fire' instead of 'help'; avoiding asking an assailant questions beginning with "what" or "why" ("why are you hurting me?”, as that is likely to provoke him; never returning a predator's stare; and many more.
With forewords by Deepak Chopra and John Gray, both of whom describe the impact of personal experiences of violence on themselves and their families, How To Be Safe In An Unsafe World prescribes a proven and practical formula for safety that we all need to increase our sense of inner security and external safety
How to be safe in an unsafe world
Dr. Harold Bloomfield and Dr. Robert Cooper
Crown Publishers ©1997 |
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