Praemonitus, Praemunitus
From prae- “before” + monitus (perf. pass. participle of praemoneō “to warn in advance”) and mūnītus (perf. pass. participle of mūniō “to fortify”).
Translation: Forewarned, Forearmed
“A word to the wise is enough. The old proverb is, forewarned, forearmed.”
—Capt. Francis Hooke, letter dated 1685
“Forewarned is forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory.”
—Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, 1605
“Forewarned, forearmed: burnt children dread the fire.”
—Robert Greene, A Notable Discovery of Coosnage, 1592
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Preparedness is often conflated with paranoia—an anxious fixation on things that may never happen. Truthfully, if we were fully aware of just how delicate our lives are, we would be much more than anxious. Although there is a lot in life that we have no control over, what’s important is that which we can control. When done right, being prepared is not about coping with or even escaping the perilous nature of reality, but about allowing us to be fully present in light of it.
Many underestimate just how much of the affliction that may arise in our lives falls within the realm of what we can—or could—control. Of course, that’s only natural for a population that has opted to be completely dependent on an increasingly fragile society. Thirsty? Turn the tap. In trouble? Call the cops. Sick? Get a prescription. Self-sufficiency has been reduced to a relic of a bygone world.
The day-to-day lives of our ancestors demanded diligent preparedness—be it for winter, war, or just making it through the week. It may appear that we are safer today than ever before, but every advancement that spares us from one danger exposes us to another. While there is certainly wisdom to be found in the traditional ways of staying ready, there isn’t an old wives’ tale about navigating a surveillance state, nor a Chinese proverb for discerning AI deepfakes.
If there is one thing history has taught us, it’s that disaster is guaranteed. Empires fall, governments collapse, and currencies die. We can no better prevent a storm today than we could a thousand years ago. Disease has always been able to cripple nations, but now it can paralyze the world. No amount of policing will prevent every senseless act of violence, much less every coordinated attack. And still, disaster is more than just what makes it to the headlines.
For the individual, disasters happen every second of every day. No matter who you are, your life is at stake every time you get in a car, your privacy is at stake every time you turn on your phone, and your freedom is at stake every time new legislation is passed by your government. So much of what goes on in our lives carries tremendous risk, whether we know it or not. In a world defined by uncertainty, we must stay forearmed.
Forearmed means to possess the right tool when an obstacle arises, and forewarned means to possess the knowledge that there is an obstacle. While this publication cannot place the tools in your hand, it can show you what they are and how to use them. While it cannot remove the obstacles from your path, it can illuminate them. Awareness without readiness is wasted, and readiness without awareness is blind.
The mission of Forearmed is to offer weekly meditations on all manners of preparedness relevant to the individual. The topics that are trending, divisive, and flashy are of equal importance to the mundane, forgotten, and overlooked. In some cases, this might mean overturning popular misconceptions, while in others it may mean reinforcing what is already widely understood. Whether the subject is mainstream or fringe, Stone Age or bleeding-edge, every-day occurrence or worst-case scenario—Forearmed will cover it.
The newsletter format ensures consistency and accessibility, but it’s not meant for covering a subject exhaustively. Instead, each post will be a launchpad for a given topic, focusing on exposing you to the fundamentals and explaining why it deserves your attention. Accompanying each newsletter will be a curated set of sources that dive deeper into the subject and point you to foremost experts on the matter. Over time, Forearmed will become an extensive catalog of evergreen preparedness articles, open to everyone and applicable to anyone.
