Posing

People make decisions based upon the information they have at the moment. Sometimes these decisions are instantaneous life or death decisions.

If you pretend to be a “gangsta” by acting and dressing as a tough guy, you will be assumed to be one and will be treated as one. If you confront me while dressed as a thug and presenting the mannerisms of a thug, I will assume you are a thug and will take action as appropriate for dealing with a thug. If you want to pretend to be something you are not to gain some perceived benefit, then you must also be prepared to deal with the negative consequences of your posing.

As related to posing, you may:

• Be tough, and act and dress tough. You will probably be able to handle of most confrontations, but you will attract many of them and chances are you will lose some of them and may even lose your life.
  
• Not be tough, but act and dress tough. You will attract many confrontations, but not be able to handle them and you will lose most of then them and may even lose your life.
  
• Be tough, but not act and dress tough. You will not attract confrontations, but when they rarely occur you should be able to handle them. Since there are so few confrontations, you will rarely lose and there is little chance that you will loose your life.
  

If you present a threat to people, they will eliminate the threat. If you were only posing—too bad.