TLDR: Read/Listen to Understand.

After over twenty years of working as a cop, thousands of hours in training, interacting with people regarding firearms for longer, and being surrounded by all levels of knowledge on the internet – from old school forums to Facebook for almost twenty years, and in person, these are observations I have made which all of the above have some level of commonality.

People want answers spoon fed to them with a heavy dose of tangible solutions (guns and gear) over training and mindset. Anyone can talk guns and gear but concepts are difficult to discuss if they lack the understanding and multi-perspective insight which allow for a more refined application.

People who choose to bash ideas because they lack understanding of the nuance on multiple levels. The most glaring example is those that take an idea that has been introduced as a source dictating what should occur versus it being something to consider. People want absolutes so they don’t need to think for themselves or gain greater insight through training and experience. Absolutes are rare. Concepts that do not immediately fit within the consumer’s paradigm can become viewed as a challenge to the consumer’s personal validity and they see it as a challenge to their personal value. Those consumers put more effort into denying the info and attempt to sway others to join them to bash it together than any little effort it would take to understand the new concept and see its application in their life.

Changing gears from people wanting to be spoon fed, we have the all knowing people who do not have the ability to let things go. These are the people out of touch with reality and normal people. They find their standards are the only standard and to go against it is a terrible violation.

There comes a point where we just have to accept things, decisions, outcomes, etc that are outside of our influence, beyond our control, and we don’t have the ability to change them. We can give good advice according to our experience and frame of reference but we also have to assess the recipient’s absorption of said advice. There is a point of diminishing returns with advice, especially to and from relative unknowns. Unless you are willing to right wrongs by spending your own money to fix the issues, you might as well talk to a wall.

The world is not run according to our values. Failure to recognize these limits is a mark of immaturity. This is irresistible force meeting immovable object, except the irresistible force is our inability to accept reality and has no further bearing on the immovable object (other people’s decisions and/or the unchangeable situation).

Continued snide remarks after it has been determined that nothing can be changed about the scenario do not prove anything when the obvious is stated, which the person posing the query may already know. It does prove your insufferable attitude towards others we deem lesser than ourselves. Sometimes the money has already been spent and what they have is what they have. Further badgering them becomes less than helpful. Repeating the same thing over and over does not change the conditions of the scenario or the circumstances.

I remember speaking to friends overseas on contracting jobs discussing the subpar issued items they had and how they were not authorized to change anything. Many times people’s lives are like that too. Their lives do not allow the free spending that others may encourage.

Water is wet and the sky is blue- harping on those facts are only an annoyance for the recipient.

What is worse is when these types of people can only regurgitate info and they have no personal investment of their own or personal learning points from their own mistakes. They treat this like a sport and do it for appearances and cred – not to genuinely help others or to understand concepts better for their own development.

TLDR: Read or listen to understand. Use that understanding to weigh options that might fit into your life. If it doesn’t fit, move on.