Being Prepared Does Not Make You Crazy

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Clint SHivers

New Friend
Neighbor
Joined
Aug 9, 2013
Messages
2
Location
New England, United States
It has become very popular in the last couple of years, yet very few people talk about it openly, even with their loved ones. It is a useful, wise and practical hobby, and still those who are the most passionate about it are often embarrassed to admit that they are a prepper.
Why do people shy away from discussing their thoughts and fears openly? Why do some look at preppers like there is something wrong with them? What are they so scared of that would drive them to spend a bunch of money on all this stuff that they might never use? And of course, how could they live a happy life when it is centered around such a negative sentiment, the end times?
Initially, it would look silly. A closet full of canned food, a safe full of gold and silver bullion, a 1,000 gallon water tank in the back yard and a stockpile of ammo that would make any liberal neighbors nervous. We can alleviate some of our neighbors concerns with a little dialogue and open minded discussion about what drives us to collect these items on such a large scale.
Let’s put aside the reason for doing this and look only at the application that the preppers favorite items have. The moment we take the emotion out of the equation, it becomes obvious that each piece of the preppers plan has a tangible and vital use. Food, water, batteries or generator, and yes even the bullets and bullion. Now, I admit, the bullets and bullion may need some more convincing, but while you may argue that you disagree with the owners ideas, you cannot disagree that they would be of great value to that individuals personal preparedness strategy. If Joe says that he will hunt for food to supplement his food storage and vegetable garden, then he will need ammunition. And since there is no guarantee that ammunition will be readily available to purchase or make, it is reasonable to have on hand as much as you may need for an extended period of time, possibly months or years. As to the bullion, most expert investors agree that as a long term investment, precious metals should be a part of any well balanced portfolio. Ideally, there would be no collapse and it could make for a nice addition to any retirement plan.
So why doesn’t everybody do it? Well, this is where I believe the preppers are fundamentally different than most other people. Let’s take television as one example. If you watch the news you will see all sorts of negativity and wars, government scandals, NSA spying on US citizens, etc. Also, and often on the very same networks, you see stories about the royal baby, the Kardashians, what the First Lady is wearing and all that Hollywood fluff that everyone eats up. There are people who only consume one type of news, and there are those who only consume the other. Then there are people who consume both. We wil focus only on those who consume primarily one type of news.
Those who focus on entertainment news, get emotional when some movie star has a baby or gets arrested, are the type that would probably least understand the prepper mentality. Now, before anyone gets offended, I am speaking on a very general basis here, and by no means saying that anyone is stupid or ignorant. Some people just don’t like to watch the news. It is vey negative, unfortunately, this is the world we live in. The entertainment industry is a blessing to our culture, for the most part, and I think everyone should take the time to enjoy movies, television, music and all other forms of the arts. If you can’t enjoy anything, what are you fighting so hard to stay alive for.
Many people feel that there is nothing they can do to change the outcome of world events and therefore do not need to waste their time learning about or understanding them. While it is probably true, that there is little or nothing the average citizen can do about the war in Syria, it is not the point of knowing and understanding what is happening there. Or, on a more local issue, our economy. Some would say “What does it matter? I’m only one person, the rich are rich and the poor are poor and it’s going to stay that way no matter what I do”. Or “The only thing we can do about it is to just keep working and if enough people do what they do, things may get worse, but they will get better eventually and we’ll be ok. We’ve always come back from recessions in the past, and this one is no diferent.”
This is where the prepper seperates from the majority of the population. We do not expect to change the situation itself, but the way and degree to which it affects us. Continuing with the example of the economy, a prepper looks at the story about the economy, finds some other sources on the topic and does some of his or her own research. They then think about what position in which they and their family would be in the worst case scenario, such as hyperinflation or total economic collapse. The next step is to determine what can be done to mitigate this risk and improve upon a possibly dire future situation. Then finally, take action. Some go big right off the bat, others start small and are working on a strict budget. The point is this: preppers may have miscalculated the likelihood of whichever disaster they are prepping for, but everything after that is logical, practical common sense. Get informed through your own research, use logical thinking to find your vulnerabilities, use problem solving to mitigate the risk, and then use planning and budgeting to gain the tools and materials that you will need to accomplish your goals and complete the tasks your plan has called for.
I challenge anyone out there to get informed by doing your own research and not just watching main stream media. Look at the issues around us and here in the Homeland. Also, think about natural disasters. The Northeast has seen two major storms in the last two summers. Think about where you and your family are vulnerable, and think about what you can do to protect them. If anyone gives this real genuine thought and consideration, you will find yourself looking up generators, water purification products, MREs #Meals Ready to Eat# or buying canned food to keep in store and extra batteries for your flashlights. These are the basics for a beginner prepper, and many people do it because they think it’s just common sense. Don’t let the stigma of preppers being paranoid and dilusional keep you from at least making a few small improvements to your family’s preparedness in the event of ANY type of emergency or disaster.
 
This is just my opinion, but with prepping comes responsibility and we have at least 2 generations now that for them responsibility is 'uncool', boring, or they've just not been taught how to be responsible for themselves because someone else has always been there to coddle them. If they can't get a job, or more likely in some cases, won't get a job, they know that they can suck on the public teat just like all of their friends and get by doing nothing but getting drunk, high, sleeping around, playing video games, or some other absolutely pointless activity.

I think people who prep scare them, because it makes them face the fact that they are irresponsible for themselves and any other poor soul that they have brought into this world. But then, huge sigh of relief, they get their obama phone, public aid out the who hah and all is well in their skewed view of life.

Then we have the people who have the means to prep and prep well, but who take the attitude that money is king and they'll be able to buy their way into or out of any situation that goes down. You know the ones I'm talking about, they get a bug up their ass to get a fire arm for 'home protection' (penis wars with the neighbors), so they go out and buy the shiniest, slickest, most generally impractical rifle or hand gun they can find for gobs of money. They take it to a shooting range once or twice and figure that's all they need, they are now the new Doc Holiday in town.

Then we have the ones who figure that they will just take from others so why bother doing anything for themselves. This includes the thugs, gang bangers, and pretty little trophy gals who figure their ass is worth their survival. Uh huh.

Life is fixing to get mighty hard for a lot of people and honestly, they are reaping what they didn't sow when they had a chance. I have no sympathy for them. None, zero, zilch and God help them if they decide to show up at my door.

The exceptions I will consider are the disabled, whether it is mental or physical issues, children, and the elderly.

Personally I prefer the neighbors to think I'm a little tetched in the head, they give me a wide berth now and I hope it gets wider as the **** continues to roll down hill.

Anyhow, welcome to the forum. I think you're going to like it here, lots of like minded people.
 
Welcome Clint Shivers! Im new here as well and you and Old Anorak make some very excellent points! I had to loudly exclaim "BOOYA!" when I read both of youre posts. I work fulltime and go to school in the evenings plus Im looking for a weekend part-time job cuz its really hard making ends meet so when I hear about some young, fat @ss punk rocker living off of welfare cuz hes too fetching lazy to work or do anything useful (saw this on the news channel I think they called him Jason?) I get reeeeeeally miffed about it. To top that off, one of my class mates the other day was listening to myself and another class-mate talking about hunting and fishing when she informed me that, quote, "If you kill a deer I wont be youre friend.", even after I told her I didnt trophy hunt and only hunted for food. Those kind of people havent a clue about the reality of survival and Im pretty sure that when she finds herself in a situation she'll think twice about her self-righteous banter. Society, in my opinion, is far too fragile to assume that it'll always be there. Just look at the history of the Romans, their nation was once a world power.
 
It has become very popular in the last couple of years, yet very few people talk about it openly, even with their loved ones. It is a useful, wise and practical hobby, and still those who are the most passionate about it are often embarrassed to admit that they are a prepper.
Why do people shy away from discussing their thoughts and fears openly? Why do some look at preppers like there is something wrong with them? What are they so scared of that would drive them to spend a bunch of money on all this stuff that they might never use? And of course, how could they live a happy life when it is centered around such a negative sentiment, the end times?
Initially, it would look silly. A closet full of canned food, a safe full of gold and silver bullion, a 1,000 gallon water tank in the back yard and a stockpile of ammo that would make any liberal neighbors nervous. We can alleviate some of our neighbors concerns with a little dialogue and open minded discussion about what drives us to collect these items on such a large scale.
Let’s put aside the reason for doing this and look only at the application that the preppers favorite items have. The moment we take the emotion out of the equation, it becomes obvious that each piece of the preppers plan has a tangible and vital use. Food, water, batteries or generator, and yes even the bullets and bullion. Now, I admit, the bullets and bullion may need some more convincing, but while you may argue that you disagree with the owners ideas, you cannot disagree that they would be of great value to that individuals personal preparedness strategy. If Joe says that he will hunt for food to supplement his food storage and vegetable garden, then he will need ammunition. And since there is no guarantee that ammunition will be readily available to purchase or make, it is reasonable to have on hand as much as you may need for an extended period of time, possibly months or years. As to the bullion, most expert investors agree that as a long term investment, precious metals should be a part of any well balanced portfolio. Ideally, there would be no collapse and it could make for a nice addition to any retirement plan.
So why doesn’t everybody do it? Well, this is where I believe the preppers are fundamentally different than most other people. Let’s take television as one example. If you watch the news you will see all sorts of negativity and wars, government scandals, NSA spying on US citizens, etc. Also, and often on the very same networks, you see stories about the royal baby, the Kardashians, what the First Lady is wearing and all that Hollywood fluff that everyone eats up. There are people who only consume one type of news, and there are those who only consume the other. Then there are people who consume both. We wil focus only on those who consume primarily one type of news.
Those who focus on entertainment news, get emotional when some movie star has a baby or gets arrested, are the type that would probably least understand the prepper mentality. Now, before anyone gets offended, I am speaking on a very general basis here, and by no means saying that anyone is stupid or ignorant. Some people just don’t like to watch the news. It is vey negative, unfortunately, this is the world we live in. The entertainment industry is a blessing to our culture, for the most part, and I think everyone should take the time to enjoy movies, television, music and all other forms of the arts. If you can’t enjoy anything, what are you fighting so hard to stay alive for.
Many people feel that there is nothing they can do to change the outcome of world events and therefore do not need to waste their time learning about or understanding them. While it is probably true, that there is little or nothing the average citizen can do about the war in Syria, it is not the point of knowing and understanding what is happening there. Or, on a more local issue, our economy. Some would say “What does it matter? I’m only one person, the rich are rich and the poor are poor and it’s going to stay that way no matter what I do”. Or “The only thing we can do about it is to just keep working and if enough people do what they do, things may get worse, but they will get better eventually and we’ll be ok. We’ve always come back from recessions in the past, and this one is no diferent.”
This is where the prepper seperates from the majority of the population. We do not expect to change the situation itself, but the way and degree to which it affects us. Continuing with the example of the economy, a prepper looks at the story about the economy, finds some other sources on the topic and does some of his or her own research. They then think about what position in which they and their family would be in the worst case scenario, such as hyperinflation or total economic collapse. The next step is to determine what can be done to mitigate this risk and improve upon a possibly dire future situation. Then finally, take action. Some go big right off the bat, others start small and are working on a strict budget. The point is this: preppers may have miscalculated the likelihood of whichever disaster they are prepping for, but everything after that is logical, practical common sense. Get informed through your own research, use logical thinking to find your vulnerabilities, use problem solving to mitigate the risk, and then use planning and budgeting to gain the tools and materials that you will need to accomplish your goals and complete the tasks your plan has called for.
I challenge anyone out there to get informed by doing your own research and not just watching main stream media. Look at the issues around us and here in the Homeland. Also, think about natural disasters. The Northeast has seen two major storms in the last two summers. Think about where you and your family are vulnerable, and think about what you can do to protect them. If anyone gives this real genuine thought and consideration, you will find yourself looking up generators, water purification products, MREs #Meals Ready to Eat# or buying canned food to keep in store and extra batteries for your flashlights. These are the basics for a beginner prepper, and many people do it because they think it’s just common sense. Don’t let the stigma of preppers being paranoid and dilusional keep you from at least making a few small improvements to your family’s preparedness in the event of ANY type of emergency or disaster.
Welcome and thank you for taking time to join Doomsday Prepper Forums.com. Your presence here is much appreciated. We look forward to your posts, and hope you enjoy the community!

Please feel free to ask (post) and questions you may have in the proper area, as the members on here are extremely knowledgeable and more than willing to help!

Thank you again for taking the time to join Doomsday Prepper Forums.com!
 
First off, welcome aboard ! My take on it, I will make this simple an short. If you are not prepared don't come knocking on my door, the writing has been on the wall a long time now. Weather it be a natural or man made disaster. I am ready and so are most of the people on this forum, personally i don't give a **** what people think about prepping all that matters is that you are able to take care of loved ones when needed.
 
Very well said! Sometimes I wish I wasnt so paranoid about people knowing about my prepping but I suppose that could be a good thing. I just dont want to deal with people mocking me about it though, hate that when it happens but I suppose Ill be able to say "told ya so!" at some point. I had a co worker that was fired because some prick who didnt like him and who doesnt approve of guns was eavesdropping on him when he was talking to someone else about getting a .22 rifle and made up some crap that he 'felt threatened', stupid little dip-****. Anyway, my prepper friend gets fired and myself and the other guy he had been talking to filed a complaint of harassement.
I feel slightly satisfied only because I think the day will come when that prick will see the value of having that form of protection and he wont have it.
 
Well said My Hog an Me. *******s like that will get the worst end of the stick when TSHTF. I feel the same as Colt. If you didn't have enough since to prep, don't bring your a$$ around me. I think some of the old timers will go back to the same frame of mind as we had in Nam. When TSHTF all friendships will go out the window. At that time the only FRIENDS we will have is the ones that are surviving with us. I'm sure not going to let my family starve to feed some dumb a$$ that was to laze to prep. But then being the soft, kind hearted, fun loving, gentle, person that I am, I will share my stash with him " one bullet at a time".
 
Well said My Hog an Me. *******s like that will get the worst end of the stick when TSHTF. I feel the same as Colt. If you didn't have enough since to prep, don't bring your a$$ around me. I think some of the old timers will go back to the same frame of mind as we had in Nam. When TSHTF all friendships will go out the window. At that time the only FRIENDS we will have is the ones that are surviving with us. I'm sure not going to let my family starve to feed some dumb a$$ that was to laze to prep. But then being the soft, kind hearted, fun loving, gentle, person that I am, I will share my stash with him " one bullet at a time".
By the way, I get such a kick out of my new nickname :D
 
Welcome ! People who don't prep just want everything done for them. I don't intend to waste my time trying to convince someone. If people haven't gotten the message by now, they never will.
 
Ain't got time for stupid or lazy. Don't care who they are, if they were capable before the world went to hell, then they can figure it out without wasting what I have.
 
Welcome!

I never discuss prepping with people until I know them really well (and then only if they are the kind of folks I'd have join us in such a disaster). Any obvious preps I just chalk up to hurricane prep, which is pretty believable and sensible here in FL.
Our running joke is prepping for the Zombie Apocalypse. While that is WAY down on the list of possible scenarios, it is a fun one to use. Honestly though, I prep more to be a bit more self-sufficient, for storms of course, and to help weather any financial difficulties. Our ancestors who lived during the Great Depression know that it doesn't take a SHTF scenario to benefit from prepping.
 
Well said My Hog an Me. *******s like that will get the worst end of the stick when TSHTF. I feel the same as Colt. If you didn't have enough since to prep, don't bring your a$$ around me. I think some of the old timers will go back to the same frame of mind as we had in Nam. When TSHTF all friendships will go out the window. At that time the only FRIENDS we will have is the ones that are surviving with us. I'm sure not going to let my family starve to feed some dumb a$$ that was to laze to prep. But then being the soft, kind hearted, fun loving, gentle, person that I am, I will share my stash with him " one bullet at a time".

I second that thought every day of the week!
 
Back
Top