This really should have been the first installment of The Rational Prepper, but a couple of other topics took precedence.
I should mention; the neoTerra blog was originally focused on Sustainable Design and Sustainable Living. Over the past year it has focused more on sustaining liberty and individual freedom. The Rational Prepper segments will be more in line with the original focus on Sustainable Living.
This will be a long segment. I hope you don't lose interest.
Here We Go.
Sustainabilty versus Survivability
First, we need to have a common/mutual understanding of 'sustainable' since that is core to the whole concept of being a Rational Prepper.
I use the term 'sustain' in much the same way as 'preserve'. To 'sustain' is to prolong a desirable state or condition by some strategy or effort. For example, no one has to sustain the sun coming up in the morning... it happens all on its own and requires no effort.
Conversely, no one seeks to sustain poverty or illness... those are not desirable conditions.
To survive is a whole different matter. It means to persevere, to live, through danger, hardship and sacrifice. In my mind, survival is what comes next if we fail to sustain.
I should mention; the neoTerra blog was originally focused on Sustainable Design and Sustainable Living. Over the past year it has focused more on sustaining liberty and individual freedom. The Rational Prepper segments will be more in line with the original focus on Sustainable Living.
This will be a long segment. I hope you don't lose interest.
Here We Go.
Sustainabilty versus Survivability
First, we need to have a common/mutual understanding of 'sustainable' since that is core to the whole concept of being a Rational Prepper.
I use the term 'sustain' in much the same way as 'preserve'. To 'sustain' is to prolong a desirable state or condition by some strategy or effort. For example, no one has to sustain the sun coming up in the morning... it happens all on its own and requires no effort.
Conversely, no one seeks to sustain poverty or illness... those are not desirable conditions.
To survive is a whole different matter. It means to persevere, to live, through danger, hardship and sacrifice. In my mind, survival is what comes next if we fail to sustain.
Threats versus Situations
I don't consider myself to be a prepper... I view myself as a planner.
A Rational Prepper must have the discipline to think about situations, circumstances and events rather than react to fear of Threats (capitalized).
Let us agree that the term 'Threat' (capital T) is a situation where your life/safety (or the life/safety of those you love) is in imminent danger.
I laugh when I hear some say 'They threatened to cancel me on Twitter". Ya, ya it's proper English but that isn't a Threat... it's barely even an inconvenience. A Threat is when a maniac with a chainsaw is chasing you around Bed Bath And Beyond... in a Progressive city... where no one is armed. That is truly an "OH SHIT!!" situation.
We humans can rationally contemplate (and plan for) almost any situation if we are calm and put our mind to it. But, when faced with an imminent Threat or the perception of a Threat, the only options are fight or flight (or, perhaps, hunker down).
Keep in mind, that every psychological study ever done shows that humans are far more emotional than rational. Think about it... you can scare the crap out of yourself sitting on your comfortable couch in your nice safe living room watching a scary movie (actually, I can't... but most people can).
Emotions, especially fear, are automatic. That's why Mass Psychosis is so effective.
Rational thinking, on the other hand, requires us to overcome our innate emotions... it requires discipline. If you perceive every potential Threat as a reality then your instinctive emotions will not allow you to rationally plan.
I remind you, that we live in an environment where media and dishonest government feed us a steady diet of FEAR. Scamdemics, spiraling crime, famine, climate change... it takes discipline to counteract the torrent of anxiety.
In the next section I'll talk a bit about how to conquer anxiety and think rationally.
I don't consider myself to be a prepper... I view myself as a planner.
A Rational Prepper must have the discipline to think about situations, circumstances and events rather than react to fear of Threats (capitalized).
Let us agree that the term 'Threat' (capital T) is a situation where your life/safety (or the life/safety of those you love) is in imminent danger.
I laugh when I hear some say 'They threatened to cancel me on Twitter". Ya, ya it's proper English but that isn't a Threat... it's barely even an inconvenience. A Threat is when a maniac with a chainsaw is chasing you around Bed Bath And Beyond... in a Progressive city... where no one is armed. That is truly an "OH SHIT!!" situation.
We humans can rationally contemplate (and plan for) almost any situation if we are calm and put our mind to it. But, when faced with an imminent Threat or the perception of a Threat, the only options are fight or flight (or, perhaps, hunker down).
Keep in mind, that every psychological study ever done shows that humans are far more emotional than rational. Think about it... you can scare the crap out of yourself sitting on your comfortable couch in your nice safe living room watching a scary movie (actually, I can't... but most people can).
Emotions, especially fear, are automatic. That's why Mass Psychosis is so effective.
Rational thinking, on the other hand, requires us to overcome our innate emotions... it requires discipline. If you perceive every potential Threat as a reality then your instinctive emotions will not allow you to rationally plan.
I remind you, that we live in an environment where media and dishonest government feed us a steady diet of FEAR. Scamdemics, spiraling crime, famine, climate change... it takes discipline to counteract the torrent of anxiety.
In the next section I'll talk a bit about how to conquer anxiety and think rationally.
Probability x Loss = Value
Personally, I view prepping is the same way I view buying insurance. I try to understand the likelihood that some bad event will occur... I try to understand how much it would cost to recover from the loss and that determines how much I'm willing to pay for insurance.
Of course, evaluation is not very precise. I have no idea what the probability of neoTerra burning down is, but I do have a fair idea of what it would cost to replace. I can put some rational value on insurance.
BTW, I'm using homeowners/renters insurance as an example because everyone buys it and it highlights the difference between sustain and survive. You buy insurance to sustain your lifestyle in the event of a loss. If you were willing to merely survive you'd skip the insurance and take the chance that you might have to survive in a homeless shelter.
The Rational Prepper evaluates prepping in the same manner as they evaluate insurance. In fact, I view insurance as the preferred form of prepping for any situation where insurance is commonly available.
Survival Mentality - The Cost of the Loss
At this point, I'd like to add a few comments on what I call 'survival mentality'.
In the previous section I describe a method where you can step back and 'rationally' attach a value to some aspect of sustainability... it may be insurance or some other form of prepping. But this only works if you can rationally contemplate the Cost of the Loss.
The loss of your Life (or those you love) is Infinite. It is impossible to attach a monetary value to your children's lives... if you embrace a survival mentality it is impossible to make rational plans. If you succumb to a survival mentality it becomes impossible to corral your emotions and anxieties.
Try to focus on sustainability and accept that survival is where we end up only if sustainability fails.
Situations to Prep For
Let's consider a few common situations that we should ALL prepare for. I will look at the probability and then the potential loss. This establishes a value... or the amount you might be willing to commit to preparing.
First, I'd like to stress... for any situation where insurance is commonly available , then insurance is the obvious 'prep'.
Loss of Income
For those who are working, the most likely situation is loss of income. You may not think of this as a 'Prep' but is is most definitely a situation that will adversely affect your life and is highly probable under the current Administration..
The equation: In today's economy the probability of loosing your source of income may be as high as 25% and the impact is 100% of your income. This is a pretty serious situation.
How do you prepare for loosing your job?
I was self employed for most of my career and I was frequently unemployed. Government 'unemployment insurance' provides a small safety net but it may not exist for many people (such as myself or the increasing members of the 'gig' economy).
The Prep: The only 'preps' for loss of income are pretty difficult. You must live beneath your means and build some savings. You must also invest in your skills and training/education to insure that you are valuable and employable. (Or, you must be lucky enough to be in the top 100 millionth of humanity and become a self-made billionaire... it could happen).
Aging
Very few people considering aging as a 'situation' they have to 'prep' for. BUT It Is.
The Equation: There is a 100% chance that you will age (unless you die young... but then you don't have to prep). It is guaranteed that you will eventually lose income, mobility and health as you age.
The Prep: This is a huge topic that deserves its own segment (Ageing in Place). However, a few comments are in order.
- Ageing absolutely results in loss of income. Social Security is a scam and a joke. You will need equity and/or investments to mitigate the loss of income and sustain your life.
- Ageing degrades health, eyesight, hearing and stamina. This Blog is not directed to those who willingly accept survival as cripples. We can't sustain youth but we can strive to sustain health and energy. Control your weight, stop smoking, get some exercise... live long and prosper.
- Sidebar - I understand that many, many people have been impacted by disease (cancer), accidents or genetics. They have a more difficult challenge than the rest of us. Nevertheless, aging is a 100% challenge for everyone.
Lions And Tigers and Bears... Oh My!
The whole point of the previous section was to encourage you to calmly look at the probability of a 'situation' in relation to it's potential cost.
- The potential of a zombie apocalypse is 0.0%.
- The likelihood that hoards of ANTIFA marauders will invade your community is 0.0%.
- The likelihood that civilization will collapse is 0%
If we allow ourselves to believe in apocalyptic scenarios, the 'cost-of-the-loss' is almost infinite (loss of life). It is hard to be calm and rational when thinking about death. BUT, Keep in mind... infinite cost times ZERO probability is still ZERO. JUST GET OVER IT AND DON'T PANIC
There are many. MANY, other events/situations that can affect our lives and which actually have high probability. Fortunately, all of the likely situations are not only survivable but they are also sustainable.
NEXT
Let's talk about real-world, situations that our government(s) are intentionally creating right now.
- Inflation (loss of investment, savings and buying power)
- Recession (Loss of income, going underwater, loss of home, loss of family)
- Scarcity (fewer goods, empty shelves and, of course, more inflation because desperate people will pay ANYTHING).
- Increasing crime in urban areas. Defunded police, Progressive DAs... GTFO major cities if you can.
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