Baseline vs. Anomaly: Reading Your Environment

A Core Human Competence Lesson

Introduction: The Anomalies I Ignored That You Never Should

My best friend killed himself when I was sixteen.

The warning signs were there - I just didn't know how to read them.

First anomaly: He “accidentally” cut himself at work with a kitchen knife, then claimed our circle of friends it was intentional for worker's compensation. But he came from a well-off family. The money shouldn't have meant anything to him. It was really weird, but what can you say when someone makes a bad decision? We wrote it off as him being a big talker, always painting his experiences as bigger than life.

Second anomaly: He started asking everyone he knew if they could get him a weapon. When we felt uncomfortable about the request, he lied and said he wanted to customize it for gunsmithing practice - his new hobby. He went around to friends, family, even strangers, trying to find a spare firearm.

Third anomaly: When pressed he said he wanted the gun to threaten the new guy dating his ex-girlfriend. We didn't believe that - he wasn't normally possessive. We figured he'd get over her and just needed time. We told ourselves not to make too much of his claims.

Three clear anomalies. Three opportunities for intervention. Three chances to recognize that someone I cared about was planning to harm himself.

We dismissed every signal. Made excuses. Explained away the behavior. Hoped things would return to normal.

A few weeks later, he shot himself with the weapon he'd illegally purchased from a guy that knew a guy.

I'm telling you this sad story because situational awareness isn't just about preventing felonious assaults or surviving natural disasters, the big “bang” events. There are slow “bang” events too - anomalies that can manifest months ahead of time, building toward crisis.

Everyone who doesn't act says afterward: "I knew something was wrong."

I want to teach you how to stop hesitating and start acting. When something feels off, you'll evaluate the situation and act as necessary. Pull the dangling thread and unravel the “off”. So you can save someone where I could not. Maybe even yourself.

The foundation of this capability is understanding baseline versus anomaly - the fundamental skill, the Core Human Competence, that allows you to read your environment accurately and respond to threats before they become crises.