Ask anyone who has faced perilous situations, whether it's combat, a wildfire, a tornado, or a riot. Most will tell you that they felt it coming; they knew something was wrong. It didn't feel right, there was a calm before the storm, it got too quiet, they started to feel ill, they got a feeling deep in their gut, or they started getting anxious out of nowhere.
You can sense when something is about to happen, usually in one of two ways—or both. You can feel it in the air and you feel it in your gut. We have all witnessed protests and demonstrations for a variety of causes that have gone bad fast. Protests can easily escalate into riots, with rival groups showing up to counter-protest or bad actors pushing groups over the edge. It's crucial to be aware of this, as riots don't just spontaneously erupt; there is a build-up and a trigger, the atmospheric shifts that lead up to that first brick being thrown.
The Gut Feeling
Many soldiers and survivors of self-defense incidents have reported a feeling prior to getting attacked. Some experience sharp gut pains, others a general sense of unease, and others an unwarranted surge of adrenaline.
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