This is a pretty simple concept. Attributable to Jeff Cooper. Look him up. I’m quite sure he just coined the idea as humans have known this and done this throughout time. Still, it’s nice to have it codified.
The concept has to do with different levels of awareness. Basically white is non-aware. Sleeping or maybe watching TV. You’re not paying attention. Maybe trusting everyone else around you to do what they are supposed to. But it doesn’t matter if it’s the other person’s fault when they run over you. You’re still dead.
Yellow is the state where we should usually be. This is prepared and aware. Looking around you, whatever you are doing. If you were bicycling down the street for instance, be aware of everything around you by looking around you and listening around you. For many, this is a practiced exercise. To do this, you can’t have the blinders on that they give the horse for a race to keep it from being distracted. Don’t be the horse. You must know how much of any one or set of thoughts you can fit in with your attention. To state this another way, people get caught up in and distracted by other things. You must know your level of abilities in multitasking. As you practice, as with anything else, you will get better at this. But you must consciously practice to make it a subconscious ability. You cannot be consumed by any one thing, be it thought or action. Realize also that you cannot possibly see everything. Only a small fration. So see and think what is important. Practice.
Moving to orange, this is a heightened level of yellow where you may need to react quickly because you’ve noticed something while in yellow. A car getting too close or a person for instance. Perhaps some lightning or thunder. Someone or place looking somewhat suspicious.
The last and highest level is red. This is when you decided to do something and are doing it. Getting out of the way of the car or the person. Turning away from the suspicious place. You have ramped up from your orange into action.
I’m focusing on yellow though because that’s what most people forget. Most of us are in white most of the time. White and orange and red are pretty much taken for granted. Yellow is where we should be and we should be comfortable in that space. Not paranoid, but aware. Personally, I even find that space enjoyable because I notice more around me and I’m able to enjoy what’s around me more. I can multitask in thinking and in watching and seeing all at the same time. Yellow is good. Be in yellow.