The Simple Behaviors That Could Save Your Life Tomorrow

Charlie Kirk’s assassination is another confirmation of a dangerous new chapter. Here’s how to sharpen your awareness and alter your behavior to stay safe.

The Simple Behaviors That Could Save Your Life Tomorrow

Charlie Kirk’s assassination is another confirmation of a dangerous new chapter. Here’s how to sharpen your awareness and alter your behavior to stay safe.

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #535: Wednesday, September 10th, 2025.

The Wake-Up Call Nobody Wanted

I certainly had no plans of hammering out a last-minute article like this one this evening. I would rather not have had a reason to do so. (The paid article I had planned to drop in this time slot…will come later tonight.)

Charlie Kirk was gunned down at a university event. A household political name…cut down in public. Whether you loved him or loathed him isn’t the point.

The point is this: political assassination…yet again…just demonstrated it’s not just “history book stuff” and became your evening news.

And here’s the truth you must face…unfortunately: it will not stop here.

The forces of volatility…anger…and retaliation are in motion. When a figure with Kirk’s following is killed…the fuse is lit for unpredictable responses from his most unstable supporters…and from those who view him as a martyr.

Which means every single American…from Salt Lake to Sarasota…must sharpen their instincts…elevate their awareness…and alter their behavior. Because in times like this…

Prevention is worth not just a pound of cure…but a thousand.

Why You Can’t Afford to Be a “Civilian” Anymore

Most people float through life like extras in a movie…heads down…distracted…noses buried in their phones. They assume bad things happen to “other people.” They assume safety is the default.

That assumption just got shattered.

Political violence changes the rules of the game. Crowds become volatile. Public events become magnets for unstable actors. The grocery store…the gas station…the local protest…they all become potential flashpoints.

If you continue to move like a civilian…you’re prey.

The first step to survival is to adopt the mindset of someone who knows they’re being hunted…even if the hunters don’t know your name.

This doesn’t mean paranoia. It means preparation.

The 5 Layers of Heightened Awareness

Awareness is not a slogan…it’s a discipline. It comes in layers…like armor. The more layers you stack…the harder you are to surprise…manipulate…or harm.

1. The Color Code Mindset

• White: Oblivious. Phone in hand. Head down. Dead man walking.

• Yellow: Relaxed alert. Aware of exits…people…and environment.

• Orange: Something’s off. Person acting strange. Car circling. Prepare to act.

• Red: Action mode. Move…escape…defend.

Your baseline should now be Yellow…always. White is no longer an option.

2. Exit Consciousness

In every building…event…or crowd…clock your exits within the first 30 seconds. Could you get out if the room erupted? If you don’t know…you’re already trapped.

3. Pattern Recognition

Humans run on routines. Which means anomalies stick out if you’re paying attention: the man in a winter coat in July…the car parked too long with the engine running…the bag left behind. Your brain whispers when something doesn’t fit…listen to it.

4. People Scanning

Every group has tells: who’s calm…who’s agitated…who’s aggressive. Watch hands (where weapons are). Watch eyes (where attention is). Watch movement (toward exits or chokepoints).

5. Information Discipline

Stop broadcasting your every move online in real time. Stop “checking in” at the coffee shop while you’re still there. In volatile times…information is ammunition…and you’re handing it out for free.

Behavioral Alterations That Save Lives

Heightened awareness is the foundation. Behavioral changes are the next layer.

Here’s where most people fail…because change feels inconvenient. But inconvenience beats injury.

1. Rethink Crowds

Large gatherings…political rallies…campus events…even concerts…are now higher-risk environments.

If you must go:

• Stand near exits.

• Don’t get pinned in the middle.

• Leave at the first sign of tension.

2. Practice “Discreet Distance”

When someone volatile enters your space…loud…erratic, angry…don’t argue. Don’t escalate. Create distance. Three steps back buys reaction time.

3. Control Your Bubble

In public, keep at least one arm’s length from strangers. That’s your safety bubble. If someone presses into it uninvited, that’s your first cue to prepare.

4. Alter Your Commute

Don’t run the same routes at the same times every day. Predictability is vulnerability. Vary your paths…your parking spots…your stops.

5. Have the Talk With Family

Your spouse…kids…or friends need a plan too. Where to meet if separated. What to do if chaos erupts. Who to call first. Chaos + no plan = panic.

Psychological Rewiring: Thinking Like a Survivor

Here’s the part nobody teaches: staying safe isn’t just tactics…it’s psychology.

Kill the “Not Me” Bias.

Violence doesn’t send an RSVP. Stop assuming you’re safe because you’re “not political” or “not important.” Wrong place…wrong time is the #1 killer.

Rehearse Mentally.

Visualization works. Walk through scenarios in your head: What would I do if shots rang out here? Where would I go? That rehearsal cuts reaction time in half.

Stay Cold, Not Hot.

Panic kills. Anger blinds. Cold calm is the survivor’s weapon. The more others lose control…the more you must lower your pulse.

The New Rules of Public Engagement

Assume volatility everywhere.

Crowds can turn in 10 seconds.

Reduce exposure.

Skip the unnecessary gatherings. You won’t miss much…and you might save your skin.

Respect your instincts.

That “off” feeling? That’s evolution’s alarm bell. Don’t override it with politeness.

Be boring, stay breathing.

The best fight is the one you’re not in. Nobody remembers the guy who slipped out the side door…but that’s the point.

Why This Is Not Overreaction

Some will say this is paranoia. Let them.

History says otherwise. The 1960s taught us what happens when political assassinations stack up. They ripple. They trigger retaliation. They embolden unstable imitators.

Charlie Kirk’s assassination is not the end of the movie. It’s the opening scene.

And here’s what you must tattoo in your brain: when the culture normalizes political violence…the average citizen’s risk multiplies…instantly.

The “Adrenaline Test”

Here’s how you know if this article matters to you: did your pulse go up reading it?

Did you glance at your door…your phone…your surroundings?

Good. That means your survival instincts are waking up. Keep them awake.

Closing Charge

Nobody is coming to make you safe. Not the police…not the president…not the military.

By the time they show up…the chaos will already be underway.

You are your own first responder.

That means:

• Yellow…always.

• Exits…always.

• Distance…always.

• Calm…always.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk is tragic. Speaking to you as a husband and father, watching a family’s life torn apart in a single instant is deeply disturbing.

I’m setting politics aside…for now. What matters most is recognizing how wrong this act of violence is…and how much harm it piles onto an already fragile nation.

I won’t speculate about who did this or why. I’ll let the facts surface and speak for themselves. What I will say is clear: this tragedy pushes America further backward at a time when we can least afford it.

But if you let this tragedy sharpen your awareness…change your habits…and prepare your family…then his death…like the political assassinations before it…becomes a brutal reminder of one truth: complacency kills.

Stay sharp. Stay alive. Stay ahead.

Best,

-Jack