Dangerous People

What makes someone dangerous? Are there multiple types of dangerousness? What do I even mean by these terms?

I sat down to write this topic thinking it'd be simple, but of course it's not. I wanted to start with a Jordan Peterson quote, because why not. Jordan Peterson is a smart guy who is often accurate in his perceptions. But once I started to add the quote, I realized it was too simplified.

For you see, dangerousness can be both positive and negative. You can be with someone who in one sense is classified as "dangerous", and yet they are the safest person you could ever be around. In the same token, you could be with someone who could be classified as "dangerous", and yet they could be the least safe person to be around.

The trouble starts with how I even begin to define the word "dangerous". So, I suppose, we'll look at the matter from all angles.

Dangerousness Version 1

 If when I say the word "dangerous" I mean:

• Someone who behaves in an unpredictable manner
• Someone who does not account for others in their actions
• Someone who is unaware of the effect their behaviors have

Then I am talking about one version of someone who is dangerous. This is the type of person who is dangerous because they are unaware of what it is they are doing at any given time. They just do things, and don't really calculate in to their actions what effect their actions will have. They are dangerous in the way a shark is dangerous or a poisonous plant is dangerous or a hurricane is dangerous. Unconsciously dangerous.

I separate this from someone who is malicious, because that is a whole other topic. Malicious people are dangerous, but not all dangerous people are malicious. Likewise, many wise people are dangerous, but not all dangerous people are wise.

What I will say is people who qualify for this type of definition of dangerous are not typically especially powerful individually, because their actions are not under their conscious awareness. As a group they can be powerful, like a mob is powerful. Again, there is still the lack of conscious awareness, and awareness changes the game.

Which brings us to...

Dangerousness Version 2

If when I say the word "dangerous" I mean:

• Someone who behaves in an intentional manner with significant force
• Someone who accurately accounts for every action they take
• Someone who is completely aware of the effect their behaviors have

Then I am talking about the type of person who can build empires or destroy kingdoms with a wave of their hand. This is a very different kind of dangerous. This is someone who is conscious of their power and knows perfectly well how to use it to exacting degree. They are dangerous the way a tiger is dangerous or a sword is dangerous or a direct energy weapon in orbit is dangerous.

I say this definition with complete neutrality, because dangerous is not "bad" in this sense. The attributes describing this type of dangerous person are fully present in the best leaders and the worst villains. What I will say is this type of dangerous is definitely polarizing, and it will be blatantly obvious who you are dealing with from the outset. These are the type of people who are fully aware of their own personal power.

That is because possessing conscious awareness of your own power means you can effectively wield it, and full awareness eliminates any kind of limiting beliefs of what you can do with that power. All that remains is the ethics of the specific individual wielding it.

So beware of those who are unconsciously dangerous. Do your level best, though, to become consciously dangerous.

I thank you for your time. Adiamas.

​--Kyriel