You could pass someone on the way to work every day, see their face in the crowd every morning, and have no recollection of memorable features or what they’re like. The idea behind this is the “Grey Man” theory, where someone blends in so well that they never stand out.
The Best Offense
Anyone can be a “grey man” but the important thing to understand about the theory is that it’s about survival first. It might sound selfish, but your survival is paramount so that you can affect the outcome of a situation with your knowledge, weaponry, or gear.
By doing this, you might be able to assure the survival of others as well. With survival, timing is everything so you have to blend until it’s time to act either by evasion or attacking. Die Hard is fiction, but a good example of blending until you can make a difference.
It’s also a good example for showing that most hostile situations take place at close- to medium-range, so it’s not like you’ll need the best scope for long range shooting. Being able to blend when you’re right in front of people is the best way to keep yourself and others alive.
Become the “Grey Man”
It might sound simple enough, but being anonymous isn’t as easy as it seems. You have to be able to fade into the background at events and be like everyone else in public without standing out in any way. Three things determine this: Behavior, being one with the crowd, and concealment.
Be Conscious of Your Behavior
How you act can attract a lot of attention or get none at all, but it takes a lot of work to create a habit. The good news is that there are a few things you can do to help along the way, like averting your eyes. Eye contact will make you more memorable.
However, you can’t just walk around with your eyes down or look in the sky because that’s more noticeable. Being obscure is about careful mediums and takes practice. The same goes for conversations, which are a hard road to navigate.
Any hard stance on a subject should be avoided, so try to maneuver discussions like that away from yourself. Small talk is going to happen in almost any situation and that’s a minefield. You have to engage to blend in while avoiding too much personal detail.
Finding the careful balance of being private without being conspicuously private is one of the hardest things to do, but it’s essential for the “grey man” theory. Doing all of these things is important, though, because it could mean the difference between being a target or not.
One more thing is to be cautious of your surroundings without being obvious. You should know exits and cameras, but never be too overt about looking for them because it will give away your tactical awareness.
Camouflage in a Crowd
Becoming one with the crowd will keep you from being identified as a threat, so it’s essential to learn. It mostly falls into two key patterns to get in the habit of doing: Movement and style. You never want to be the odd man out when everyone’s walking right and you go left.
Walk with the flow of the group at their pace, but if you have to pass someone do it gradually instead of quick movements. If everyone looks at something and screams, join them to avoid drawing attention as the “one who doesn’t care.”
Likewise, if you need to break off from the crowd make sure you stay near a smaller group. Keep to the fifteen foot rule, where you’re close enough that you don’t appear alone but far enough from the group that they know you’re not a threat to them.
Be mindful of how you dress and smell, because you don’t want to be flashy or use a distinctive cologne. Bland colors don’t stand out, like a t-shirt and jeans, to blend. It’s also advisable to carry something that can be put on to change your appearance, like a hat or glasses.
Keep in mind that flashy gun merchandise and wearing combat pants will almost always immediately draw eyes to you and make you a target if something was to happen.
Conceal Your Weapons
Lastly, concealing your weapons or gear is crucial to survival. If someone knows you have a firearm, you’ll become a priority target so you need to keep it hidden until absolutely necessary. Again, it’s all about timing.
Avoid tight clothing and consider a casual bag, like a backpack or purse. If it’s cold or rainy, you can wear a jacket or coat to help conceal yourself without appearing out of the ordinary. Survival of the “grey man” depends on hiding in plain sight and blending through concealment.
