When is it appropriate to resist violently if taken hostage or attacked?

Chris Voss advises that violent resistance is generally a bad idea as captors are prepared for it, potentially leading to severe harm. While trying to get away is natural, doing so without violence, like a 'walk away' or 'run away', is preferred. Violent resistance is strongly discouraged in hostage situations.

What's the difference between a domestic US kidnapping and an international one?

Domestic US kidnappings are generally more dangerous because perpetrators fear being caught and prosecuted by the robust law enforcement and prison system, making the victim a significant witness. International kidnappings often occur in regions with less stringent legal systems, where captors are more focused on payment than long-term consequences.

How does evolution shape our fear response?

Evolution favors animals with a healthy fear response, as it aids survival by detecting danger. However, our evolved fear mechanisms, developed in a vastly different environment, can be hypersensitive to modern technological threats and unfamiliar people, sometimes leading to irrational fear or prejudice.

What is intuition and why should we trust it?

Intuition is described as an innate, subconscious intelligence honed by evolution for detecting danger and making protective decisions. The word 'intuition' itself relates to guarding and protecting. Trusting it means paying attention to 'gut feelings' which are based on perception and have your best interests at heart.

How can I distinguish true fear from unwarranted anxiety?

True fear is always based on something present in your immediate environment and perceived through your senses. Unwarranted fear, or anxiety, is typically based on memory, past experiences, or hypothetical worries rather than an actual, current threat.

What is profiling in the context of threat assessment?

Profiling, when stripped of its political connotations, is the process of gathering observable information about a potential threat in one's environment. This can include details like a person's appearance, clothing, gait, and behavior to inform how one interacts with them.

Key Moments

Making Sense of Encounters With Violence

Sam Harris

Science & Technology4 min read37 min video

Jan 27, 2023|23,462 views|391|182

sam harris sam harris podcast waking up podcast waking up waking up with sam harris sam harris waking up waking up sam harris sam harris jordan peterson sam harris joe rogan author neuroscientist philosopher

Save to Pod

Key Moments

TL;DR

Making Sense of Violence: Tactical empathy, intuition, and the psychology of fear are crucial for personal safety and navigating complex situations.

Key Insights

Tactical empathy, as taught by Chris Voss, involves understanding and influencing captors by humanizing oneself and establishing rapport, even in extreme situations.

The 'gift of fear' is an evolutionary tool for detecting danger; intuition, rooted in the enteric nervous system, provides vital, often subconscious, guidance for safety.

Distinguishing true fear (based on present perception) from unwarranted fear (based on memory or anxiety) is key to trusting one's intuition.

Societal norms (e.g., avoiding racism) can override intuitive danger signals, potentially leading to dangerous situations.

Profiling, when stripped of political connotations, is a cognitive process of gathering observable information about potential threats to inform interaction.

Understanding the context of a situation (e.g., domestic vs. international kidnapping) significantly alters risk assessment and appropriate responses.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION

Chris Voss, a former FBI hostage negotiator, emphasizes a psychological approach to surviving captivity. His strategy involves establishing rapport with captors by humanizing oneself, repeating one's name to be recognized as an individual, and avoiding direct resistance that could provoke violence. This method aims to foster a relationship, leverage human nature for better treatment, and increase the probability of a successful resolution, viewing escape attempts only under specific, generally non-violent, conditions.

STRATEGIES FOR ESCAPE AND CONTEXTUAL NUANCES

Voss clarifies that while getting away is always the goal, the method is crucial. Violent resistance is discouraged as it's expected and prepared for, often leading to severe harm. Non-violent escape, like walking away, is more acceptable, with punishments being less severe. The distinction between domestic U.S. kidnappings, where perpetrators fear capture and legal repercussions, and international kidnappings, where focus is on ransom, significantly alters the dynamic and perceived threat to the victim's life.

THE EVOLUTIONARY BASIS OF FEAR

Gavin de Becker introduces 'The Gift of Fear,' reframing fear as a vital evolutionary mechanism for survival. Animals with a finely tuned fear response were more likely to survive to pass on their genes. While hypersensitivity to new stimuli or unfamiliar people can be a byproduct of this evolved system, leading to biases like bigotry, the core function of fear is to alert us to potential dangers in our environment, acting as an internal alarm system.

INTUITION AS A PRIMAL DEFENSE MECHANISM

De Becker posits that intuition is humanity's primary tool for detecting danger and assessing people, honed by evolution. This innate ability, often residing in the gut (enteric nervous system), warns us of potential harm. Western societies often disregard intuition in favor of experts or technology, but listening to this 'gut feeling' is crucial for making sound decisions about who to include in our lives and for immediate safety. The root of 'intuition' itself means to guard and protect.

DISTINGUISHING TRUE FEAR FROM ANXIETY

A critical aspect of trusting intuition is differentiating genuine fear from unwarranted worry or anxiety. True fear is always based on present, perceived information in one's environment, signaled through our senses. Unwarranted fear, conversely, stems from memory, past anxieties, or hypothetical scenarios. By introspecting on the source of a fearful feeling, one can determine its validity and whether it's a genuine warning or a product of cognitive biases or imagination.

OVERCOMING SOCIAL NORMS AND BIASES

Intuition can sometimes conflict with social norms or personal biases, such as the desire to avoid appearing racist. This can lead individuals, like the woman in the elevator example, to override their intuitive danger signals to conform to social expectations or to prove a point. This suppression of intuition, De Becker argues, is counterproductive to self-preservation and is a behavior not observed in the natural world, where animals instinctively react to perceived threats.

UNDERSTANDING THE UTILITY OF PROFILING

When removed from its political charge, profiling is essentially a cognitive process of gathering observable information to assess potential threats. This involves noticing details like a person's apparent sex, build, clothing, demeanor, or actions. These pieces of data, gathered from various senses and contextual cues, help form an intuitive assessment that can inform one's interaction with an individual or situation, acting as a preliminary danger assessment.

THE COMPLEX INTERPLAY OF DATA AND INTUITION

The process of assessing potential threats utilizes a wide array of observable data points, including physical characteristics, clothing, and behavior. Whether someone's attire is appropriate for the weather, their gait suggests intoxication, or their hands are concealed, all contribute to an intuitive assessment. This gathered information, combined with contextual data, helps sharpen our internal alarm system, making our intuitive judgments more accurate and effective in navigating potentially dangerous encounters.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Books

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

According to Chris Voss, the key is to engage psychologically to maintain your sanity and ensure better treatment. Avoid overt resistance, but instead, condition your captors to see you as a person by repeating your name and cooperating, which can build a relationship and increase your chances of survival.

Topics

Mindset & Self-Improvement Society & Philosophy Hostage Negotiation Fear Response Threat Assessment Self-defense Strategies Violence Prevention Decision Making

Mentioned in this video

Locations

Colombia

Mentioned as a country where kidnapping is prevalent and where perpetrators are less concerned about getting caught or facing significant jail time.

Ecuador

Mentioned as a country where a hostage escaped by using bathroom breaks to condition captors to a longer absence, demonstrating a non-violent escape strategy.

Concepts

Enteric nervous system

Referred to as the 'gut brain' and the source of visceral feelings and intuition, containing a significant number of nerve cells.

Books

Never Split the Difference

A book co-authored by Chris Voss detailing negotiation tactics applicable to both high-stakes and everyday situations.

The Gift of Fear

A book by Gavin de Becker that reframes fear as a valuable message from within for detecting danger and protection.

People

Gavin De Becker

Author of 'The Gift of Fear' and an expert in violence prediction and management, who discusses intuition and the evolutionary role of fear.

Chris Voss

Former FBI hostage negotiator and co-author of 'Never Split the Difference', who discusses strategies for surviving hostage situations.

Sam Harris

Host of the Making Sense podcast, the creator of this compilation series focusing on encounters with violence.

Mark Wahlberg

Actor who appeared in a movie where giving names to chimpanzees made it harder to treat them as mere experimental subjects, illustrating human nature's tendency to form attachments.

Companies

Brazil

Mentioned as a country where kidnapping perpetrators do not face significant jail time and can expect prison breaks.

Organizations

Mexico

Cited as an example of a country where the penal system for kidnapping is not robust, with perpetrators facing minimal consequences.