The OODA Loop — the OODA stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act — is a strategic tool designed to help people make better decisions when facing any kind of competitor or opponent.
My guest today says that when that opponent is a seasoned criminal, the Orient component of OODA — a person's mindset — is the most underestimated and critical part of the model to understand.
His name is Varg Freeborn and he's the author of Violence of Mind: Training and Preparation for Extreme Violence, and Beyond OODA: Developing the Orientation for Deception, Conflict, and Violence. We begin with how Varg's life story has uniquely positioned him to understand the dynamics of violence from the perspectives of both the perpetrators of crime, and the would-be preventers of that crime. Varg shares how he went from being a convicted felon to a self-defense and firearms instructor who's worked with both civilians and law enforcement.
We then turn to why it's so important to understand the difference between the orientation of an average person and the orientation of a violent criminal, and why, when the two collide, the latter has a real advantage over the former. We end our conversation with what you can do in terms of mindset and training to close that gap, and be better prepared to handle a violent encounter.
Resources Related to the PodcastThe Leadership Qualities That Will Set You Apart From the Pack
The Lesser-Known Philosophy of the Iron Age Greeks
10 Unchanging Ideas for Navigating an Ever-Changing World
How to Avoid Death by Comfort
The 3 Types of Failure (And How to Learn From Each)
What Lifting Ancient Stones Can Teach You About Being a Man
Social Skills as the Road to Character
Protein — Everything You Need to Know
Zombies, Minecraft, and Dealing with Uncertainty
Dog as Cure for the Midlife Malaise
Beyond Mere Politeness — The Art of True Civility
The Science of Swole — How to Grow Your Muscles
A Cure for Existential Boredom
The Real Reason You Procrastinate
Break Your Bad Habits by Escaping the Scarcity Loop
Can You Trust Happiness Studies?
For a Better Work Out, Think Like a Kid
Beyond Lazy Learning — The Keys to Gaining and Retaining Knowledge
The 5 Shifts of Manhood
When the Game Was War — Lessons From the Greatest NBA Season of All Time
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free