was going to post this in the other thread, but figured it deserved its own space as its a bit of a tangent.
the question might get wordy, so please bear with me.
you mentioned that you are realizing the world is a dangerous place. therefore, you do see a need for protection at some level. have you taken that realization to the next plateau, where you accept the fact that you may very well be put in the position of using deadly force to defend yourself?
i would say this is the most important part of the evolutionary process of 'potential helpless victim' to 'prepared defender'. if one is not absolutely sure that they can pull the trigger when the time calls for it, carrying is a useless exercise.
some people feel that they could never take another life, no matter what. and thats why you see a lot of questions of 'what would you do if....?' to help prepare our minds for the worst. we do contemplate having to shoot the elderly, the young, women as well as men, perhaps even the mentally disturbed.
we don't wish to kill, we arent bloodthirsty, we only wish to ensure our safety and that of others.
are you ready to do such?
the kicker is that there is no right or wrong answer to that question.
i hope that your decision to carry is not to impress others, or to 'fit in', but out of a true desire to protect the sanctity of life from those who do not respect it.