Is concealed carry worth it? The Complex Answer
You might wonder, “Is concealed carry worth it? And well, it depends on what you mean by “worth it.In the most simplistic terms, having a gun and a concealed carry holster is about as worth it” as a fire extinguisher It’s not that easy.
We’re going to attempt to answer your serious question about whether or not it is worth all the effort to get a permit, carry gear, and toting around a gun.
It’s unlikely that you will need it, but if you are in a situation where it is necessary, it may be the only thing that could save your life.Let’s now discuss what makes something “worth it”.
Concealed Carry: Is it worth it? It all depends on what you mean. Before we can get to the honest answer, let’s talk about what people mean when they say, “is concealed carry worthwhile.”
What does it mean to be “worth it?”
There are two ways to look at it without going into Psych 101 and Econ 101 simultaneously (well, we’re going there a bit). There is an emotional and a mathematical incentive.
You feel the emotional motivation when you carry a Gun holster. Is it making you feel better, safer, and so forth? You have to decide if you feel safer and more comfortable carrying.
The mathematical incentive is the likelihood that you will use it. The mathematical motivation is the chance you will be confronted with violent crime and thus (god forbid!) have to use your gun. How likely is it that I would ever have to carry a gun?
The latter is what we will be focusing on. Guns do not make you safer; they provide you with a way to face danger so that we can, in some ways, generalize how much is out there.
We are not psychologists. There are many reasons people feel different emotions, and not everyone is the same.
We can’t judge your feelings about gun ownership or how you feel about guns. We can explore the risks and make a case to conceal carry based upon what happens in real life. Concealed Carry is the Only Way to Avoid Danger in Certain Cases. To give a bit of context, here’s the thing about concealed carry that makes it different from any other risk management tool:
Concealed pistols are a solution to a particular type of problem that few people, if any, ever encounter. It is, however, one of the most effective ways to solve a problem if it does occur.
If one is not there, the police cannot reach you in time. They cannot arrive until the moment is over. It is possible that you won’t be able to count on the assistance of others in the vicinity.
A concealed carry gun is useless unless it isn’t…but it can be used when it is.
It’s better not to have it than not to need it. It’s true.
Let’s now address the mathematical risk. This is going to get complicated, so buckle up.