If you are walking the Path of the Warrior, it is of the upmost importance that you keep your shit wired tight. What does this mean? In short, it means that you need to be able to handle yourself. You cannot function efficiently if you are zoned out, drunk, or stupid. Furthermore, you need to be able to keep cool in a tight situation. If all sorts of bad shit has suddenly manifested out of thin air, you need to be able to effectively deal with it. Remember, a warrior isn’t just some asshole who carries a weapon and acts like a "tough guy"— the warrior belongs to that select group who dares to interpose themselves between other people and danger.

What is danger? Danger comes in many forms. It doesn’t necessarily need to take the form of an armed assailant. Much more commonly, it takes the form of: a life-threatening injury, an automobile accident, a structure fire, an unsafe situation, or the many less serious crises which potentially threaten us from day to day. Most warriors, at least for a portion of their lives, have worked (or volunteered) in some form of emergency services capacity. This is what they are best at. The warrior’s ability to remain calm under intense pressure is what makes him valuable to society — even though he is usually underappreciated.

In this section, novitiate warriors will receive a few tidbits of important advice on how

to better conduct themselves in order to avoid "stepping on their dick."

Always be aware of what’s going on in your immediate vicinity. This doesn’t mean that you should "have your head on a swivel" like some hinky skell, but simply that you should be aware of who is currently within a ten foot radius of you (and what they are doing), and know to be alert if one of them is acting stupid (or suspiciously). You should be aware of anyone approaching you, and should make full use of your peripheral vision (as well as reflections from mirrors, polished metal, glass, etc.) In order to detect anyone approaching from a "blind spot." You should be able to instantly react (avoidance or blocking) in the event of unexpected sudden movement — just don’t over-react! Awareness is of the upmost importance when you’re at the wheel of a motor vehicle.

 2.) USE FORESIGHT:

Always consider the possible consequences of your available choices before taking action. It is often possible to think several steps ahead (i.e.: if I act on option "A," the most likely result would be "X" (desirable outcome), although there is a 20% probability that the result would be "Y" (undesirable outcome), and less than a 5% chance that the result would be "Z" (disasterous outcome). In the event of "Y," I could try options "1," "2," or "3" (in descending order) — any one of which could prevent things from getting too far out of hand. In the unlikely event of "Z," I’ll only have one option available, and I’ll just have to deal with the situation as best I can). This concept is rather awkward to put into words, but I think you’ll get the general idea, which is: always think before you act (or speak).

 3.) BE PREPARED:

You need to think well ahead in order to properly (and efficiently) deal with the eventual crisis situation. Does your home, workplace, and vehicle all have fully stocked first-aid kits? Do you have enough fire extinguishers, and are they fully charged? Do you have a cellular phone, toolkit, and flashlights in your vehicle? If the lights suddenly went out in your house, how long would it take you to find a flashlight in the dark? If you were suddenly awakened in the middle of the night, and found that your power was out, could you quickly find your trousers and boots? If there was a natural disaster, and the power would be out for an extended duration, would your family have enough heat, food, and water? These are all things that you need to think about and prepare for now, because "later" will be far too late.

 4.) BE READY:

You need to be ready for action at all times. This does not mean that you should be all tense and hyper-vigilant, like someone with Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (that would simply call unwanted attention to yourself, and make other people nervous). This simply means that you should be equipped with the knowledge, skill, and ability to deal with an emergency when confronted with one. A warrior cannot allow himself to freeze, panic, or simply stand by uselessly, wailing "I don’t know what to do!" The warrior must be able to act. At the very minimum, he should know how to apply a tourniquet, perform CPR, and perform the Heimlich maneuver. If beset upon by ruffians, he should be familiar with the concepts of basic self-defense. If a small fire occurs, he should know how to extinguish it. He should also be able to make field expedient repairs (duct tape is invaluable for such things). He should always have on his person: a pocketknife (or multi-tool), wallet, and keys. And, perhaps most importantly, he must be physically able to engage in rigorous activity if necessary. If you are atrophied or grossly obese, you will need to focus a lot of time and energy on improving your body before you can start calling yourself a "warrior."

 5.) DON’T PROCRASTINATE:

If you see that something needs doing, and you’re not rushing around attending to some sort of critical situation, do not put it off until "later." People who procrastinate tend to either put things off "till the last minute" or forget them altogether. Putting things off just contributes to your stress level, and if it’s something of major importance (like checking your vehicle’s oil, or paying the electric bill), you could be in for a world of hurt. Procrastination even applies to getting up in the morning for work — if your clothes for the day aren’t ready (as well as other things that you need to have), and you persist in repeatedly hitting the "snooze button" on your alarm clock, you are probably either going to end up rushing out the door without being ready, or being late. "Do not put off till tomorrow what you can do today."

 6.) DON’T SNIVEL:

A man does not snivel, bitch, whine, or complain. If something is wrong (a proposed way of doing something is grossly inefficient, working conditions are unsafe, or you require emergency medical attention), state your case in a calm, clear manner. Never piss and moan to others about how "this job sucks," or how you got a boo-boo on your widdle hand. The warrior is expected to have a high level of endurance, a high pain tolerance, and nerves of steel. Don’t disgrace yourself.

 7.) DON’T BE A SNITCH:

Snitches are lower than dogshit. They are roughly on the same level as baby rapers. Betraying someone’s trust in you is one of the worst things that one human being can do to another. However, as in everything, there are many different levels of being a snitch. The lowest form of snitch is someone who betrays a friend or family member (usually either for revenge or reward money). The next rung up the ladder is the career criminal who rats out his partners, connections, or boss (this is usually to save their own ass, but may also be a way to eliminate competition or insure against police interference). The next rung up the ladder is the sniveling toady who sucks up to his employer by spying on others (this category would also include nosy "do-gooders") — these people suffer from a pathological condition which compels them to denigrate themselves in sick anticipation of being praised by those whom they perceive as superior. At the topmost rung are the people who have either witnessed a crime of violence, or been victimized themselves, and are willing to testify against a predatory criminal rather than "take the law into their own hands." This final category does not meet our definition of the word "snitch," and these people usually are justified in their actions — although they are seldom of the warrior class.

 8.) DON’T BE CARELESS:

If you are careless, you can hurt yourself or others (as well as look stupid). Pay attention to what you’re doing. Do not allow your mind to wander. Stay focused. Never circumvent safety rules simply because you’re either lazy or in a hurry. Remember, many common injuries (such as a severed finger or ruptured eye globe) are irreparable.

 9.) DON’T BE STUPID:

Don’t be stupid. Don’t start trouble (and if you see potential trouble, avoid it). Don’t make a spectacle of yourself. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Never play a "practical joke" which could be potentially harmful. A whole lot of people have been maimed, crippled, killed, or incarcerated for taking it upon themselves to do something stupid (usually in an attempt to impress others). The warrior is not stupid — that task is reserved for clowns and fools.

 10.) DON’T ALLOW YOURSELF TO BECOME INCAPACITATED:

If you choose to drink a 12-pack of beer in one sitting, your ability to function efficiently will be greatly impaired. If you were to down a liter of vodka or eat several tabs of acid, you would be reduced to being a semi-ambulatory psychotic eyesore who could not be reasoned with. Becoming so intoxicated that you are only vaguely aware of what is going on around you is incredibly stupid. If a crisis (of any sort) were to occur, you would not be able to deal with it properly. Voluntarily becoming FUBAR on drugs or alcohol in a public place is tantamount to allowing a streetwalker to shackle you to the bedposts — you would render yourself contemptibly helpless.