Question for preppers and prepper adjacents

I am dedicated to preparing for various disasters. Why:

1. We have children and I feel a responsibility to continue raising them, even in the face of high, high obstacles.

2. Much of survival if a differential sorting. Like the joke about the two hunters being chased by the bear; the one stops to change from hiking boots into running shoes. The second one says, "That's ridiculous! You cannot possibly outrun the bear." And then the first one says, "I don't have to outrun the bear; I only need to outrun you." I don't have to be an athlete, just better than some of the others who aren't prepared.

3. I have made a study of the collapse of complex societies, and I've learned that even when a society collapses, the vast majority of its members will survive and participate in the successor society. In other words, many times the members of the dying society live on. The collapse of Rome didn't kill off the Romans as a people, any more than the collapse of the Seleucid Empire wiped out the Greeks. On the other hand, the Anasazi and the ancient Egyptians.... Well, anyway. Sometimes there are survivors.

4. Humans were designed to surmount obstacles. It is what we do. It used to be the definition of manliness. It is still the definition a few of us are living out.

5. Societal collapse is often a time of incredible social mobility. WWI was the end of the Old Order in most of Europe. A lot of our ancestors only quit being peasants 4 generations ago. Same with the Black Death in the Middle Ages (the previous example of the end of peasant-hood and slavery in Europe). The survivors (or their children) often live like kings.

When a person decides to prep, why? Pure animal instinct to live? Having a family to look after? A desire to become one of the ones to rebuild society? A concept of survival being a game and wanting to win? Never really thought about it?

Personally, I decided to prep because I saw some immediate benefits from preps. Once, when our water broke, we had to wait about 2 months to really have the dough to fix it right. Due to my water preps (mostly for storm season, as if we lose power, we lose the well pump), we were able to muddle through it. So, this got the wife fully onboard for prepping.

Not for some end of the world, but to be ready here and now, for things that could happen. Realistic things.

There have been weeks where money was tight, but by dipping into preps a little bit, we were able to stretch out our groceries, and muddle through until payday. This happens often enough (we just replenish on good weeks).

Having tools, supplies, etc. all onhand has made house projects go way smoother, and not much we can't do ourselves, whether wiring, carpentry, concrete work, etc.

Simply put, being prepared makes sense. Being unprepared, does not. Hope it answers the question.

a reply to: Evergreen

You think life is worth living only with the internet and running water?

Strange criteria for the value of life and living you have there!

The answer why people wish to survive is quite simple...the Human species is made up of 3 kinds of people..those who are survivors, those who are quitters and those who follow one kind or the other.

Without the survivors, none of us would be here discussing this in the first place...if your ancestors had just thrown in the towel when things were bleak, you wouldn't be here. In fact, the towel would never have been woven, but that's pedantic.

Worldwide flood? The younger Dryas? The Ice Age? Would have killed a large part of Humanity off...yet the survivors with their 'make the best of it' attitude enabled our species to survive, including you, me and everyone else reading this...i'd say we owe those ancient preppers and survivalists a BIG thank you.

originally posted by: LDragonFire
If the SHTF and doesn't kill us all, our society and civilization would completely collapse.

This means the next morning when you wake up, for the first time ever you would be truly free.

Food Water shelter, work with not for you fellow humans to mutually survive.

It might not be all bad.

Pack your bags, drive up into the woods until the road ends and then set out on foot. Voilà...your instant uncivilized utopia.

a reply to: MysterX

You think life is worth living only with the internet and running water?

I'm guessing that you haven't read the thread, or even the entirety of my opening post. Yes? No?

why do I want to survive? cos I don't fancy the alternative, that's why!!

a reply to: Jansy

You know what is funny? You simply don't know who is going to find the drive when S does HTF. Some of these preppers are going to end up as whiny crying babies and some who never once thought they had it in them will tough it out better than anyone else.

In the end, until it actually happens, you have no idea whether you will have the wherewithal or not!

I believe that after any life changing event the suicide rate will escalate, I also believe most unprepared people (especially here in the UK) will be dead within a month or two of that event.