I have to disagree on the "Every gun is always loaded" analogy. I got into guns later in life. That single phrase has made me a safe, conscientious shooter. Whereas, without that phrase, I would have been making more safety mistakes. Even when cleaning a gun, I use the phrase. I treat the gun as if it's loaded until it's disassembled and the objects in front can be accurately described as gun parts, not a gun. Until then, I treat the gun as if it will fire when I pull the trigger.

Actually, I wish more people would use the phrase. I had to stop going to one gun range because the gunsmith seemed to make it a point that he was above the Four Safety Rules. When he was inspecting shotguns, he would point the muzzle in any direction he pleased. Do you understand how uncomfortable and tense that makes the entire environment? He may know the gun is unloaded, BUT I DON'T. How hard is it to treat the gun as if it's loaded and point the darn thing down range? If he would just adhere to the first safety rule alone, the range would not have lost this customer and all my friends.

Along the same lines, I am going to add to my earlier post. I do see the value in the phrase, "One is none, and two is one." The mere existence of this thread proves its value as being memorable. Just don't be a freakin' robot and take it literally always.