# are you paranoid?



## billc (Aug 8, 2014)

considering that most people who live a normal life, they don't do drugs, engage in crime, stay away from those who do, will never be,a,victim of a violent criminal attack...if you study martial arts for self defense....

Are you being paranoid by taking the martial arts?

And this doesn't include side benefits of the arts...this is if you specifically train for self defense...are you being paranoid...?


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## Transk53 (Aug 8, 2014)

billc said:


> considering that most people who love a normal life, they don't do drugs, engage in crime, stay away from those who do, will never be,a,victim of a violent criminal attack...if you study martial arts for self defense....
> 
> Are you being paranoid by taking the martial arts?
> 
> And this doesn't include side benefits of the arts...this is if you specifically train for self defense...are you being paranoid...?



From my perspective no, you just know what you are about yet.


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## Tames D (Aug 8, 2014)

Prepared, not paranoid.


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## Blindside (Aug 8, 2014)

I don't do martial arts just for self-defense, quite frankly that is the massive additional side benefit.  I wouldn't be spending as much time as I do training in machete dueling if practical self-defense was the only reason I was doing this.


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## K-man (Aug 8, 2014)

Answer to the OP ... no.  I think that I probably had a fascination for H2H fighting from reading books about commandos when I was a kid. Self defence? Sure, a great side benefit if required, but certainly nothing to do with expecting to be attacked or needing to defend myself. When the opportunity arose some 30 years later to learn karate with my son I took it and 30 years later I'm still learning. Most of the guys I started with have long given it away, but to be honest, I find it fascinating to decipher the kata. Kata are like the kids' 'Pick a Path' books ... you can choose the same story or find a different one, or the same story with a different ending, every day you train. Learning other arts becomes a natural progression that helps understand kata. In a nutshell, it is the combined mental and physical challenge of karate that keeps me going back for more. Then I learn Aikido. Hardly the first choice for self defence if one was paranoid. But Aikido is very 'cerebral' which keeps me going back for more.

That, and of course the health benefit of regularly getting up off the couch.


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## Touch Of Death (Aug 8, 2014)

K-man said:


> Answer to the OP ... no.  I think that I probably had a fascination for H2H fighting from reading books about commandos when I was a kid. Self defence? Sure, a great side benefit if required, but certainly nothing to do with expecting to be attacked or needing to defend myself. When the opportunity arose some 30 years later to learn karate with my son I took it and 30 years later I'm still learning. Most of the guys I started with have long given it away, but to be honest, I find it fascinating to decipher the kata. Kata are like the kids' 'Pick a Path' books ... you can choose the same story or find a different one, or the same story with a different ending, every day you train. Learning other arts becomes a natural progression that helps understand kata. In a nutshell, it is the combined mental and physical challenge of karate that keeps me going back for more. Then I learn Aikido. Hardly the first choice for self defence if one was paranoid. But Aikido is very 'cerebral' which keeps me going back for more.
> 
> That, and of course the health benefit of regularly getting up off the couch.


I read too many Destroyer novels not to, at least, be able to kill with my bare hands.


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## jks9199 (Aug 8, 2014)

Accepting the possibility is not paranoia.  

Do you have car insurance?  Even though you may well be a careful driver and not get into a crash... you still have car insurance.  Because, while you may well be in a statistical group that is unlikely to be in a crash -- or the victim of a violent offense -- you as an individual are not a statistic.  So there's no way to say that you will not be the one in the statistical group who IS attacked.


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## RTKDCMB (Aug 8, 2014)

Who said I was paranoid and why are they talking about me and following me?


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## donald1 (Aug 8, 2014)

I don't think it is,  now if you're learning it for self defense because you think certain people or anyone could be after you then it's paranoid but if you want to be safe in case of an emergency or have a bully issue no...


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 8, 2014)

billc said:


> Are you being paranoid by taking the martial arts?



Why, somebody say something to you about me :uhoh:


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 8, 2014)

The question is not whether I am paranoid. The question is whether I am paranoid enough.


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## Danny T (Aug 9, 2014)

billc said:


> considering that most people who live a normal life, they don't do drugs, engage in crime, stay away from those who do, will never be,a,victim of a violent criminal attack...if you study martial arts for self defense....
> 
> Are you being paranoid by taking the martial arts?
> 
> And this doesn't include side benefits of the arts...this is if you specifically train for self defense...are you being paranoid...?


Paranoid? The irrational fear to the point of delusion that someone or something is out to get me or intentionally trying to hurt me by taking the martial arts?
No not being paranoid.
I've got a fire control system in my home and I'm not expecting a fire. Does that mean I'm paranoid? I've taken defensive driving courses. Does that make me paranoid? Been trained in water and jungle survival. Does that make me paranoid?

No I don't believe I'm paranoid at all.
Do you lock you doors at your home or vehicle when you leave? Does that make you paranoid?


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## Buka (Aug 9, 2014)

I see what you're doing there. They're after me, aren't they?


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## elder999 (Aug 9, 2014)

Yes. Yes I am, quite famously, paranoid. 

Doesn't mean you're not all out to get me.

In fact, you are. It's a life lesson.The air I breathe, the food I eat, the water I drink, the machines that surround me and that I _must_ use,  the birds and beasts and sea creatures, and  the very earth I walk upon: all these things _conspire_ to undo me. 

Hell, even my own body is crafting my ultimate destruction, and one day will succeed.

Why should the human race be any different? Can I believe for moment that there's one of you, a single one of you that would not benefit in some way from my death?

Of course I'm paranoid: it's just common sense at this point......:lfao:

Seriously, though: *prepared* is not _paranoid_

Trust me-I know from paranoid, and seeking self defense training and/or carrying a weapon of some sort? THat's not it.

Thinking that the neighbors are going through your garbage for information they can share with the government or other governments-that's paranoid. 

Even if it turns out to be true. (True story, sure 'nuff! :lfao: )

Thinking you're under constant surveillance by person or people unknown? THat's paranoid.

Even when it turns out to be true. (True story, sure 'nuff! :lfao: :lfao: )

Scanning your home for listening devices and yanking out the medicine cabinet in your bathroom because there's a camera hidden in there? That's paranoid.

Even when it....*nah*, there was no camera back there: I was just being paranoid! :lfao: :lfao: :lfao: Wouldn't you, by that point?  :lfao: :lfao: :lfao: :lfao:


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## donald1 (Aug 9, 2014)

Nope, but never hurts to be both prepared and paranoid; got my weapon, shelter, back up plan in case the weapon is also apart of the conspiracy, all of my theories and organized too(with the fancy tabs too)


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## K-man (Aug 9, 2014)

elder999 said:


> Yes. Yes I am, quite famously, paranoid.
> 
> Doesn't mean you're not all out to get me.
> 
> ...


Mate, you promised to stay off the weed!


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## Touch Of Death (Aug 9, 2014)

Truly intelligent people are a little paranoid. If you are gifted with natural talent, there is no reason you should assume everyone else doesn't have your gifts; so, we all play the game of life as if everyone thinks just like us and is just holding back or something... sneaky bastards!


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## drop bear (Aug 9, 2014)

I really really hate getting bashed.


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## RTKDCMB (Aug 9, 2014)

Just because you are paranoid it doesn't mean people aren't out to get you.


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 10, 2014)

Here's an example of my paranoia.  I have turned off or otherwise disabled all internal 'convenience' lighting inside my vehicles.   Why?  Because when I open my car door at night, I don't like being a silhouette.  In addition, I know where everything in my car is.  No one else needs to know.

I'd give you other examples, but that would violate my need to keep what I do to myself.  Savvy?


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## Touch Of Death (Aug 10, 2014)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Here's an example of my paranoia.  I have turned off or otherwise disabled all internal 'convenience' lighting inside my vehicles.   Why?  Because when I open my car door at night, I don't like being a silhouette.  In addition, I know where everything in my car is.  No one else needs to know.
> 
> I'd give you other examples, but that would violate my need to keep what I do to myself.  Savvy?


This upper lower class lifestyle I'm living eliminates the need for me to worry about being a target, but how do you know I'm not being poor on purpose?


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## Transk53 (Aug 10, 2014)

I used to be paranoid, but then started getting paranoid about being paranoid, and whether anybody else noticed that I was being paranoid about being paranoid. Then I dropped the silver foil from my head.


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## tshadowchaser (Aug 10, 2014)

being prepared is not being paranoid.
but then I have always been a little paranoid because I know for a fact that they where watching me at at least one point in my life and it is documented


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## Transk53 (Aug 10, 2014)

tshadowchaser said:


> being *prepared* is not being paranoid.
> but then I have always been a little paranoid because I know for a fact that they where watching me at at least one point in my life and it is documented



Yeah, but that depends on the preparations being right. That takes a calm and solid mind, no one afflicted with doubt!


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## K-man (Aug 10, 2014)

Good grief.  
Don't any of you guys lead a normal life? 



> Symptoms of paranoia and paranoid disorders include intense and irrational mistrust or suspicion, which can bring on sense of rage, hatred, and betrayal. Some people suffering from paranoid personality may have a high capacity to annoy or enrage others because of rigid and maladaptive behaviour.



Perhaps you guys need to be tested for paranoia.

Global Advanced Personality Test

For me ...


> *Stability* results were high which suggests you are very relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic..
> 
> 
> *Orderliness* results were very low which suggests you are overly flexible, improvised, and fun seeking at the expense too often of reliability, work ethic, and long term accomplishment.
> ...


I'm cool with the work ethic because I don't need to work any more.


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## donald1 (Aug 10, 2014)

K-man said:


> Good grief.
> Don't any of you guys lead a normal life?
> 
> 
> ...



Took the test too,  had a lot of questions 

I got 





> Stability Results were high suggests you are very relaxed,  calm secure,  optimistic
> 
> Orderliness your results were medium which suggests you are moderately organized,  hard working,  and reliable while still remaining flexible,  efficient,  and fun
> 
> Extroversion your results are low which suggests you are very reclusive,  quite,  unassertive,  and secretive


I have to disagree with the last one I like being assertive


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## jks9199 (Aug 10, 2014)

K-man said:


> Good grief.
> Don't any of you guys lead a normal life?


Define normal.

I'm an active, working patrol officer.  I've worked street gangs.  Including hitting places not far from my house on search warrants.  Including recognizing targets in the neighborhood pool.  There are some folks out there who don't harbor the warm fuzzies for me.

But I've never been green lighted as an assassination target.  A few of my colleagues and friends have.

Even before I became I cop, I worked in and around classified material.  Part of that meant extensive background investigations (for those familiar, I've had both EBI and SSBI, including polys, from DOJ, DOD and the intel communities).  I didn't really work with any major secrets; most of the clearances were "in case of" rather than "you're going to be handling."   Even so -- I was a potential target for exploitation.  So I got to report foreign contacts (taught a self defense class to a bunch of au pairs... that was a paperwork PITA!), and let my life be an open book.

I know some of the stuff Elder worked/works around.  He was/is a major target.

And then there are the folks who have live "colorful" lives...  Some of them have additional reasons to be...  wary, shall we say.


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 11, 2014)

RTKDCMB said:


> Just because you are paranoid it doesn't mean people aren't out to get you.



Way back in my security days one of the places I worked was a hospital with a mental health and detox unit. The LEOs brought in a guy on a mental health warrant to the ER and he was.... to keep it clean for MT.... a massive, combative, argumentative, jerk.... he also thought everyone was out to get him..... after dealing with him for about an hour I finally had all I could take and just when I was about to go full on restraint mode (he had just took a swing at a nurse) I got right in his face and said "Just because you are paranoid it doesn't mean people aren't out to get you"..... his eyes got huge, he froze in his tracks, sat in the corner and just stared at me the rest of the time I had to watch him until he was admitted......yeah..... I was evil....but it worked...he played nice the rest of the time he was in the hospital too


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## Instructor (Aug 11, 2014)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Here's an example of my paranoia. I have turned off or otherwise disabled all internal 'convenience' lighting inside my vehicles. Why? Because when I open my car door at night, I don't like being a silhouette. In addition, I know where everything in my car is. No one else needs to know.
> 
> I'd give you other examples, but that would violate my need to keep what I do to myself. Savvy?



I do this too....


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 11, 2014)

K-man said:


> Good grief.
> Don't any of you guys lead a normal life?
> 
> 
> ...



Meh.

_Stability results were moderately high which suggests you are relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic.

Orderliness results were very low which suggests you are overly flexible, improvised, and fun seeking at the expense too often of reliability, work ethic, and long term accomplishment.

Extraversion results were very high which suggests you are overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense too often of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity._​
Not me, really.  Either the test is bollocks or I am not being honest with myself when answering.  I'm an introvert who expresses extrovert at times.  I'm messy but I have a strong work ethic.


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## Transk53 (Aug 11, 2014)

K-man said:


> Good grief.
> Don't any of you guys lead a normal life?
> 
> 
> ...




Normal for me is what you normals are. There are different frequency's out there, some of us have to ride the waves.


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## Tgace (Aug 11, 2014)

Yes.


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