Before It Happens - Ethics, Empathy & Escape

This episode features Chapter 15 from the full-length audiobook Before It Happens: The Art of Staying Safe Before Violence Starts by David Burnell.

What if real strength isn’t about fighting—but about knowing when not to?

In this heartfelt and eye-opening chapter, David Burnell takes you to the edge of conflict and back again, sharing moments from humanitarian missions and tense street encounters where empathy, ethics, and escape proved more powerful than aggression.

You’ll learn:

• Why restraint can be the highest form of courage
• How empathy sharpens your awareness, not dulls it
• The importance of defining your personal “line” before danger strikes
• Why escape is a win, not a weakness
• How to train with clarity so you avoid unnecessary violence—and its life-altering consequences

This isn’t about pacifism. It’s about power with purpose.
 When you live by a warrior code anchored in ethics, you don’t just survive threats—you walk away with your values intact.

This is a single chapter from the audiobook Before It Happens: The Art of Staying Safe Before Violence Starts by David Burnell—available now on Audible, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

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