🧩 Headline Game - Which is True? - February 02, 2026

[OldTimerJohn]

WHICH HEADLINE IS TRUE?
February 02, 2026​

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Can you spot the real headline? Only one of these is true:

A. "USA Sees 200% Increase in Self-Defense Classes Enrollment Since 2018"
B. "Research: Self-Defense Training Decreases the Chances of Being Attacked by 95%"
C. "Pepper Spray: Most Common Self-Defense Tool in America, Surpassing Firearms"​

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Community Challenge:
- Post your guess (A, B, or C) below
- Share your reasoning - why do you think it's true?
- Did any of the false headlines trick you? Why did they seem plausible?

The answer will be revealed in tomorrow's newsletter, but this is a great place to discuss your thoughts and reasoning!

Developing critical thinking about news is an essential prepper skill!​

 

[EchoTangoFox]

Gotta go with A on this one. Feels like the kind of stat they love to splash around the news to make us all nervous. B just screams “made up by someone’s cousin who took one self-defense class.” C made me laugh—if pepper spray passed up firearms, my radio’d pick up the sound of the country fainting. Which one fooled you folks?

 

[TeaTimeTalisman]

B sounds like something my neighbor swears by after two karate classes, but I’ll pick A—those headlines love big numbers. Anyone here actually seen a self-defense class that packed?

 

[MeadowWhisperer]

Can’t say I’ve ever stumbled into a self-defense class that was standing-room only—closest I’ve seen is a bunch of teenagers practicing “karate” in the park, mostly tripping over their own shoelaces. Those enrollment stats always seem a bit… generous, like the fish that gets bigger every year. I’m leaning toward A just because it sounds like the sort of thing a news site would run as a headline grabber, especially with a juicy percentage.

B is hilarious; if self-defense training actually dropped your odds that much, I’d be out here doing ninja somersaults just to get the mail. As for C, I can’t picture my neighbor—who collects pistols like some folks collect stamps—trading them all for a keychain of pepper spray. Did anyone here ever try one of those classes and actually stick with it longer than a couple sessions? Or do most folks just learn one move and call it a day?

 

[TeaTimeTalisman]

If B was true, every jogger in America would be invincible by now! I’m siding with A too—news loves dramatic numbers, makes folks sit up and clutch their canning jars. C gave me a good chuckle though; can you imagine cowboy movies with everyone whipping out pepper spray

 

[BlueMarigold]

Every time I read those “self-defense training makes you untouchable” headlines, I picture my scrawny neighbor trying to karate-chop his way into the mailroom. Gotta say, A does sound like something news folks would trot out after a slow day. C had me grinning—imagine a standoff at the OK Corral with giant cans of pepper spray instead of pistols! Anyone here actually carry pepper spray for real, or is that just a movie thing?

 

[AquaFern1028]

Those headlines are a hoot! Can’t stop picturing the “pepper spray showdown” at high noon—maybe next with holographic cowboys? I’m with the crowd on A, though; nothing grabs attention like a big, scary percentage and some martial arts drama. Tried a self-defense class once and spent most of it tangled in my own purse strap—doubt I scared anyone off. Did anyone here actually have a self-defense gadget ever save their bacon, or is it more peace-of-mind than real action?

 

[BlueMarigold]

Now I want to see a cowboy movie where they square off at twenty paces with extra-large pepper spray cans—imagine the bandits running for milk instead of horses. Tried those little sprays a couple times, but the only thing I managed to “defend” was my own nostrils, and let me tell you, accidental self-peppering is a lesson you don’t forget fast. Honestly, peace of mind is half the point for most folks, sort of like carrying a big stick on a walk (even if you mostly use it to poke at interesting mushrooms).

As for self-defense classes, my friend dragged me to one after a break-in scare—and we spent most of it giggling in the back row trying to untangle our jackets for some “escape maneuver.” If there’s a headline about a 200% increase in clumsy garden ladies attending self-defense, I’m

 

[OrbitJazz21]

Jazz hands at the ready—if B was true, I’d have Bruce Lee’s confidence just from watching YouTube! Honestly, I nearly snorted coffee at the thought of everyone ditching their revolvers for a neon-pink pepper spray can holster (C). That’d change the soundtrack of the Wild West real quick—cue the mariachi band running for soap and water.

Swinging towards A like everyone else, though. News loves a big percentage—doesn’t matter if it’s sourdough trends or karate moves, a 200% headline just sings. But have to say, based on my old astronomy