Before It Happens - Mental Models for Survival

This episode features Chapter 11 from the full-length audiobook Before It Happens: The Art of Staying Safe Before Violence Starts by David Burnell.

Mental Models for Survival explores one of the most powerful tools in personal safety—not technique but thought structure. In moments of chaos, the mind either panics or performs. This chapter shows you how to ensure that it performs.

From combat zones to crisis convoys to everyday parking lots, David has relied on a few core mental frameworks—OODA Loops, Baseline + Anomaly, Pre-Decided Lines—to stay calm under pressure and act purposefully.

You’ll learn:

• How to override panic with clarity using the “Next Right Move” model
• Why “thinking faster” beats “fighting harder”
• How to spot danger by noticing what doesn’t belong
• The life-saving value of mentally pre-drawing your line in the sand
• How to simplify decisions under stress for faster, smarter reactions

This is more than a self-defense episode—it’s a mindset blueprint for living with alertness, confidence, and peace in the world.

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

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