What do you look for as a part of your self-defense strategy?

Sue asked, "list me 10 things that you look out for in your environment when you are out and about as part of your self-protection strategy?" I gave some specifics but felt clarification was necessary and this resulted in the post I am doing now.

In reality I don't have specifics I look to when I go out in the world regarding self-protection strategies or should I actually say tactics. My strategy is to know and understand what constitutes danger or dangerous situations or dangerous persons. This knowledge and understanding becomes what my mind looks into when my spider sense tingles. It is that which says, pay attention Charles and then I start to focus my awareness.

This allows me to be up without the stress of being in combat mode all the time. You can't be in combat mode and you cannot focus your mind on the particulars of what you should look for but rather have that knowledge there to trigger the spidery sense and get your shields up and running to take more appropriate actions - this is my avoidance strategy.

I don't focus my mind on ten "things" per say but rather all of it is encoded into my brain so when instincts kick in I know what to look for for what ever reasons appears. To focus on particulars could shut out those others that are just as important.

This falls under learning the details, forgetting the details and allow your instincts and impressions be your strategy for public geared self protection strategy. Make sense?