There's one reason that I know my car, apartment, and underworldly possessions are most like safe from theft: they're all very small targets.

My car doesn't have a high bluebook value, so it's unlikely anyone will risk driving off with it in the middle of the night. That's protecting it far more than the car alarm is. And I know that my deadbolt is pretty much worthless. A dedicated cat burglar could bypass it without breaking a sweat. But I know that what I keep in my apartment is not worth very much.

Security is all about the incentives involved. Provided the security measure adds enough inconvenience or risk to any would-be attacker, as long as it's greater than the potential payoff, it works.

I've known people who don't lock their front doors when they leave their homes. You could call them foolish, but they really just don't think that having to carry around a house key is worth the amount of protection they're getting. They figure if someone wants to get into their home and take some things, then that person will find a way to do it, one way or another. If they don't lock their door, at least they won't have the expense of replacing a broken door or window on top of whatever else was taken.

It's not just front doors. Do you secure your home wireless network, for example?

Overall, I believe that most people are good, honest, and under normal circumstances, don't pose a threat to me or my own personal security.

(P.S. Along these lines, any avid users of FourSquare or Twitter should have a look at this.)