Gray Man Skills for Survival

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Everyone wants to stand out in a crowd and be admired in some way. I think that is just part of human nature. From what I have seen, being able to make yourself into a brand and as some kind of “influencer” on some level in our current society makes you a more valuable individual in the eyes of many.

We post our lives on social media as if it wasn’t a big deal, we catalog our children growing up on these platforms, and we record our vacations and even our meals on these platforms as well in the name of turning ourselves into media influencers to live the high life status of the rich and the famous.

As noted in a previous blog post, we are essentially being monitored at almost every given moment in time. Around the world, we have seen how China’s mass surveillance of its citizens causes many people in other developed countries to be concerned for their privacy. Here in the USA, I have seen many cameras at stop lights, on sides of buildings – and those are the ones just out in plain view! With the increase in AI and facial recognition, how much privacy can we expect in our daily lives? After all, we are told such things are for our safety and to make our lives easier, as some airports are using facial recognition to expedite international traveler queues.

Since we are essentially under some kind of surveillance at any point in time, how do we maintain some type of anonymity in our daily lives? One such way is by utilizing the grey man method.

To be a grey man, it goes against pretty much everything that society today holds in high regard:

• A grey man doesn’t call attention to themselves
• A grey man blends in with their surroundings
• A grey man is essentially able to be unknown and their presence goes essentially unknown in their surroundings, they are forgettable

If you think of any mass social gathering, your time in grade school, or even just walking around your local area completing whatever errands you need to complete, the grey man is able to move around such crowds without making any kind of impression in your memory.

How are people able to stick in your memory?

• Yes, it is a trend at present, but those crazy hairstyles and colors make you stick out in a crowd
• Wearing outfits that are completely against the status quo of the group (think showing up to a sporting event in a cosplay outfit that isn’t on a park’s theme night)
• Wearing clothes with messages on the chest, or any kind of visible branding on the clothing whatsoever
• Are you wearing clothing or carrying item(s) that are against the norm of that area that make you stand out? (wearing a heavy jacket in late spring, or carrying a backpack where everyone typically has a briefcase)

Being able to move through a crowd or general area without detection can potentially be essential to your survival depending on the situation that you find yourself in.

To discover how you may or may not stick out to those around you, take some time in a populated area, like a restaurant, park, concert setting, shopping mall, etc. to just people watch. See who sticks out to you and why and determine if you can stick out to people for the same reason.

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