Where Do You Draw The Line Between Prepared and Paranoid?

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Sheep Doggy Dogg

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With some new shows such as Doomsday Preppers and Doomsday Bunkers and seeing how a lot of people are making preparations for various scenarios, where do you draw the line between someone who is prepared and someone who is paranoid? More specifically as it relates to CCW and firearm ownership.

Some people carry a single stack 9mm or a 5-6 shot revolver while others may carry a full sized pistol with 2-3 extra mags and another pistol or two on their person. Is the latter more prepared or is it overkill and they are paranoid?
 
I will object to the use of the term paranoid. First is a defined psychiatric term which is inappropriate to the discussion if the implication is that someone is disturbed for an equipment choice.

Second, this debate will be full of cliches from those who don't understand statistics and risk assessment. Someone will say the average fight is 2 or 3 shots and not deal with the probability of a higher intensity incident in the tail of the shots fired distribution.

While rare we have clear cases of civilians needing more than 2 or 3 rounds.

Next, folks will miss the point that extra mags are most useful for malfunctions as compared to needing a ton of rounds. Thus, not understanding this - someone will say you are 'paranoid' for carrying an extra mag as do you expect to face multiple attackers when malfunctions are equally important.

Someone will say their gun is 100% reliable. The laughter resounds at that. Shoot some more and watch.

Some will say they don't carry an extra something at they don't go to bad neighborhoods. This again implies that the extra gear if for multiple zombies but misses the point.

Any neighbor in which you are in and in a gun fight is a BAD neighborhood.

In that good neighborhood gone bad, you can have a malfunction or be disarmed by the nice people in that good neighbor who chose to attack you are get shot in one gun hand (happens quite a bit).

So, I have summarized most of the relevant points for carry. Most folks get by with a EDC and a reload which is a reasonble cut on the risk distribution.

And drop the paranoid snark.
 
I don't carry any extra mags but I do carry 2 guns. Both 9mm Glocks.

I don't think I am paranoid, I just want a back up in case some thing goes wring with the first.

I carry at 4 o'clock and a cross draw at 10 o'clock
 
Isn't this a place to have discussions anymore?

From the Dictionary:
Paranoia [ˌpærəˈnɔɪ.ə] (adjective: paranoid [ˈpærə.nɔɪd]) is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion.

A better term for what many experience is "phobia", a fear of something. In this case, a fear of crime or of being a victim.

But, hey, now that Glenn has summarized all possible points of the discussion and limited it to exclude paranoia....why bother. Sheesh...on to a friendlier forum!
 
It is an easy question. Anyone who less prepared than me is a sheep and anyone who is more prepared that me is paranoid.
As far as the TV shows, they are set up to make their "guests" look goofy and weird. It is the modern circus sideshow, You can't expect much usefulness or honesty from such things.
 
The question reminds me of the adage:

Anyone who drives slower than me is a scaredy-cat. Anyone faster is suicidal or homicidal.

Or Bertrand Russel's irregular conjugations, example:

"I am firm; you are obstinate; he is a pig-headed fool."

I am prepared, you are overboard, he is a raving paranoid.

Sorry, Wilson133, looks like you beat me to it, but I posted anyway.

All kidding aside,

It is situational. If I have to wait 15 minutes for the fire department or police to arrive, my preparations are significantly less than if I have to wait a day or two (which some of my more rural neighbors must consider). Many people have to contend with a response time that you measure in hours and I know of no one aside from our elected officials and police who can measure response time in seconds.

So, I have several flashlights around the house, 4 fire extinguishers (garage, to the right of the stove, to the left of the stove and in my furnace room) and one loaded gun. Response time to a 911 call in my neighborhood can be expected to be in the 5-15 minute range.

If I have to investigate the "noise in the night" I have rarely felt the need to go armed with anything but a mag-light (a dandy club), but have taken the revolver at least once. I have in my closet a kevlar vest I got in a trade, but have never felt like I needed to put that on.

If I carry in public, one 5-shot revolver, perhaps with a "New York reload" (a second 5-shot revolver). Sometimes a 10-shot 45 ACP. But I rarely feel the need to carry in public.

In the woods, a 454 Casull and bear spray.

I do have a generator in my garage and a potable well on my property, keep enough fuel for the generator to last a week and enough canned and dried food to last at least a week. (We have earthquakes that may disrupt supply lines)

As far as the prospect of social collapse, anarchy and vicious hordes of visigoths coming over the hill: I am pretty much unprepared.

Lost Sheep
 
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I think the topper was the fellow who said he carried four pistols, two big Glocks, two little Glocks, with two spare magazines for each, plus a 50 round box of ammo and (in case he ran out of ammunition) a large bowie knife, a stiletto, and a pair of nun-chuks. I have no idea how he even walked, but that, folks, is paranoid.

Jim
 
My plan is to open carry a 1911 cocked & locked on my weak side, with an A-Zoom in the chamber, and carry a pocket pistol in my right pocket. See that way... the 1911 is just a decoy and when the bad guy grabs my 1911, he may flip the safety off, and he may even pull the trigger... but I don't think he's going to do much else.

Am I paranoid ?
 
The line is when it becomes financially or physically burdensome in my opinion.

I carry a pistol, an extra mag, and a weakside knife. That doesn't affect my ability to carry the things I need on a regular basis. Niether does it affect my ability to move and function in a normal way.
 
I've always thought of paranoia as an unreasonable fear. Weapons are chosen not based upon love, but rather fear. So to have weapons is fear based to begin with. At what point does the fear become unreasonable ? I suspect this might be community, or culture, or geographic location based in some way, as well as personality based. I am more afraid at night, alone in a strange neighborhood than I am in daytime, in my own neighborhood with neighbors out and about.

I do not think it unreasonable fear and carry at night in a strange neighborhood. I do consider it unreasonable fear to carry in my own neighborhood during the day.

What is your fear base profile ?
 
I never draw a line,We're all going to walk through the valley one day,LIKE it or not. You can be prepared or scared,but your still going.
 
Afraid I have to take exception to the point that choosing a weapon is not something based on love. I love to shoot and to be without a carry piece would seem like I had left a part of myself behind. I grew up shooting ,started before I can really remember, the best time I had in the army was with a weapon in my hands.I often carry a 22, not exactly adequate for this country or in the city, I carry because I love to shoot and it is my right as an American to do so. If you feel you must carry out of fear , might I suggest a change in address, While fear is part of every ones life in some form every day, if that is you sole reason for being armed then some real changes are needed in your life.
Please understand I am not trying to be hostile to anyone , but this is still America [I hope] and the right to carry should be celebrated , I told my son a few years ago ,I carry because I can ,it is our right, I served this country to defend those rights, if we don't exercise our right and fight for them ,there are plenty of people more than happy to take those rights away, and at best we will be subjects to serve our gov. like the British, or we could end up as the Jews in Nazi occupied Europe.I know that was a whole 70+ years ago, and we are SO MUCH MORE CIVILIZED these days. But I would feel better about this country if more than half the people I meet every day were not only armed but train ,competent, and loved that right.
 
epiphany.jpg
 
I've found that suggesting wearing a bullet-resistent vest is going to get some comments from quite a few people that I'm paranoid.

So I guess there's one line right there...


.
 
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I think paranoia is very much like vanity. You spend a lot of time looking in the mirror wondering what other people are thinking about you. Eventually you realize that no one else is thinking about you and probably never even notice you. Being prepared is wearing clean underwear, always having a fresh handkerchief and carrying a cigarette lighter even though you don't smoke. There's something hopeful about being prepared.

There is a problem when the paranoid are hopeful.
 
I won't use the p word as i got in trouble for using it before. What would people think if someone insisted on having two seat belts on in case on failed, two steering wheels, two brake pedals. Some would say they had an irrational fear of being killed in a car crash, but would then go on to say they carried two guns plus extra mags ect have they an irrational fear of being shot. Remember you are more likely to be killed in a car crash than someone shooting you. If you won't go out of the house without being armed with two guns then or any gun then i think you have an irrational fear of being shot.
 
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