What Situational Awareness Actually Is (And Why Most People Teach It Wrong)
Situational awareness has become one of the most misunderstood concepts in the safety and security world. Too often, it’s reduced to a slogan:
“Keep your head on a swivel.” “Be aware of your surroundings.” “Pay attention.”
But none of these statements actually teach people how to be aware. They teach fear, not understanding. Motion, not meaning.
True situational awareness is deeper, structured, and grounded in both behavioral science and protector discipline. And it starts long before a threat appears.
Misconception #1: Awareness Is About Looking Around
It’s not about seeing more. It’s about understanding what you see.
Real awareness is the ability to identify what belongs, what doesn’t, and what those deviations tell you about human intent. It’s pattern recognition, a blend of intuition, experience, and learned behavior.
Misconception #2: Awareness Is Paranoia
Paranoia is fear-driven. Awareness is purpose-driven.
Awareness doesn’t elevate your anxiety; it lowers it. Because when you understand the environment, you’re no longer reacting to the unknown.
Awareness Requires a Framework
This is why I teach RUNA:
Recognize what’s happening around you
Understand the human behavior behind it
Navigate your options
Act with clarity and calm
RUNA replaces fear with discipline, uncertainty with structure, and confusion with courage.
The Protector’s Responsibility
Scripture consistently calls men and leaders to be alert, sober-minded, and watchful, not as warriors driven by ego, but as shepherds protecting what God has entrusted to them.
Situational awareness is simply the modern application of that calling.
Becoming Dangerous. In the Right Way
A truly dangerous protector is not reckless. He’s informed. He’s disciplined. He sees early what others miss entirely.
This is the foundation of all violence prevention, and it’s where organizational safety begins.
For training or speaking engagements, contact Cculton@fidelisruna.com