[legion]

My temperament would be to be extra careful if I was carrying. I'd be thinking about the consequences of my actions given that I had a gun on me and probably be less brave and more willing to walk away--knowing the penalties for sticking it out would be more severe when I am found to be carrying.

If I have three possible responses to a bad situation when not carrying: walk away, stand there and take it, and return aggression; I'd be more likely to go straight to return aggression. If I was carrying, I'd be more likely to walk away knowing that returning aggression could quickly escalate to putting myself in a situation where I'd need to use a firearm.

I know this doesn't hold true for everyone. In fact, the opposite is true for many people.