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Reader question: Please explain “look over our shoulder” in this: “All the policy changes have created an environment where most of us feel we have to look over our shoulder to make sure we still have a job.” My comments: Literally, people look over their shoulder for signs of danger. Imagine you’re walking through a small alley in an unknown part of town in the middle of a moonless night. There are no streets lights and the residents have all gone to bed so all the houses, courtyards are shrouded in darkness. As you walk along, you begin to recall reading in the newspaper last week that a gang of several youngsters had recently been rounded up for robbing late-night passers by right in this area. There’s a rustling of leaves on the trees. You feel your hair on the back standing up. Are you hearing footsteps? Probably not. The footsteps are in fact your own. Otherwise, the wind and rustle among the trees are the only noises there are. You try to turn round but fail at the attempt. Perhaps you’re too much in fear to look back. You only manage to turn your head a little bit sideways, trying to make full use of your peripheral vision. Even your peripheral vision is now failing you. You cannot see anything distinctly at all. Yet, you can’t stop yourself from gingerly looking over your shoulder left and right. That’s the idea. You look over your shoulder for any sign of threat or danger. | 
