Society has Collapsed!
Okay, not really. But lets just say that it did for what ever reason. Zombies, aliens, natural disasters… you pick. The end result is that governments have all collapsed and people and communities form groups in order to survive. Food is scarce, so is water, gas and other such provisions so you’ll have to hunt out and scavenge what you can. Where do you think you’ll fit in, in this new world? Do you have any skills that would make you an asset to a larger group? Could you see yourself as a foot soldier for a larger mass to help protect what supplies you all had? Perhaps you’d have better chances as being a loner.
I wonder this sometimes as, being an artist, I don’t really have sought out skills for survival. I’m not sure what my odds would be, but I know I would do everything I could to help protect and provide for my family. I also think it’s interesting that some people would rise up and become leaders where they might not have been before the collapse. People that had been leaders might falter in this new society as well.
I’ve watched shows about people that stock pile food and build shelters in their backyards and such to prepare for the worst. I don’t think I’ll be doing that anytime soon, but good on them. I also watched a show about just this scenario and it talked about having to potentially leave everything behind as looters would probably sack your place. It suggested that smaller groups would travel better and stand a better chance getting accepted in to groups and other survival tips. While I don’t think this will happen any time soon nor do I worry about it, it’s interesting to wonder about such a thing happening. So… how would you fair in a collapsed society?
Play Asia
July 13th, 2012 at 9:57 pm
I’ve been a doom……..woreshipper for a long time. Yes I look forward to the impending demise of this current civilization. Many reasons not worth getting into but I do on a daily bases day dream about it. I have a b.o.b (bug out bag) and am working on being self sufficient by 2014. I don’t by into the whole 12/21/2012 mayan doom thingy. I mean IMO it would be a decent birthday gift tbh being that I was born on 12/21/1987.
Personally it will either be economic collapse, nuclear arms exchange, or plague (not zombie but I am a fan). What ever the end might be either way civilization is on borrowed time.
Being we’re I am is a bit out in the boonies “bugging in” is my choice, fortify and protect the home front. I live on 28 acres in nys, 8 is flat furtle land just crying to have a orchered and a garden planted on it. I have plenty of critters wondering through the area too. I own a few guns and am fairly proficient with each. But if I had to bug out I have superb scavaging skills now, I can only imagine when the law isn’t an issue.
As far as rebuilding im worth my weight in gold. I’m a trained alternitve energy tech and installer, master plumber, hvac technician, water purification expert and can do just about anything else involving manual labor. So the end is nigh…… Rejoice.
July 13th, 2012 at 10:59 pm
I’ve read Max Brooks’ ‘The Zombie Survival Guide’. And while its a long shot that a zombie apocalypse would actually happen, it did give certain tips that would come in handy in an end of civilization situation. Plus I’ve served in the U.S. army and am knowledgeable of firearms, tactics, reconnaisance, camouflage, first aid and wilderness survival. In a world that may be full of hostile types looking to take food and resources by force, the best thing to do is learn evasion techniques, light and noise discipline and staying away from former population centers.
Eventually, of course, finding other survivors and trying to rebuild human civilization would be the main goal. That’s what people have done for thousands of years. One society falls, we start over anew. Hopefully, we’d still retain knowledge of the previous one.
July 14th, 2012 at 4:25 am
If I have to run for my life? I’m probably dead 🙁 I have a bad knee… any stumbling or twisting the wrong way will force the joint to slip out of place (not the kneecap, the actual femur/Tibia)
I am working on trying to solve that without surgery, but I’m afraid I will one day need it.
I did watch a show called the Colony, rather neat….even if I am not sure if they ended up actually roughing it or not
July 14th, 2012 at 9:19 am
This post reminds me of a discussion I had a while ago. The rise in the price of gold was the topic, and one of my co-workers said something like, ‘if you (in the general sense, not aimed at anyone in particular) are really worried about economic/social collapse, then learn to raise some chickens, grow carrots, and the like.” These are the skills/goods that will really be useful/valuable if there is ever a downfall. Practical skills that directly facilitate survival will be worth much more than any particular physical good. However, I might add that, given the short-sighted, ego-centric, irrational nature of people in general, supplementing those skills with personal defense capabilities would be advisable.
I don’t worry about the collapse, but it is also something that I ponder every so often. Guess if it came down to it, I’d gather my friends and try to form a self-sufficient community. I have some skills at carpentry and a few other practical skills, that plus being a fast learner with a good work ethic should make me a productive member of any commune. Also, if society is ever to rise after the fall, education will be a must. That I have in abundance and variety, so I could act as an educator in my off time (survival comes first, in this case). I would also add that the arts are crucial to a healthy society (something that is far to often overlooked in our culture), so artist of all types would be welcomed in my little camp. Well, as long as they are willing to get their hands dirty as well.
Okay, the fact that I have written this much about a hypothetical and unlikely scenario probably means that I have thought about it too much (in which case I have better things to do with my time). It is sorta fun to think about, though, as long as one doesn’t take it too seriously.
July 14th, 2012 at 10:34 am
well, i think i would do relatively well as long as i knew about it in time to get away from my town and gather my friends/family. my only concern is that i know very little about growing/hunting for food. and the fact that i wear glasses, which as the twilight zone points out, is not a good thing for a post apocalypse scenario. however, i do plan on buying a few pairs of glasses just for this reason. that way, if one of them breaks i have more. cause without my glasses i’m pretty much blind. i think a small group would be best for a situation where society breaks down, because it would be easier to move around without being noticed, but there is also the protection that you may lack if you’re by yourself. unless of course you’re some sort of super soldier or have trained to be a master of camouflage, which would be awesome. i’ve thought about making a gillie suit for a while now. maybe i’ll get started on that sometime soon…
July 15th, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Everyday, when I look at the swords hanging on my wall, I hope that the zombie apocalypse happens in my lifetime….
That being said, I think I would be a valuable asset to any survivor group. I have worked on a farm, so I know how to take care of animals and tend crops. I am a quick learner, and am handy with many tools. I can cook, handle lots of manual labor, and have exceptional organizational skills. I would like to think I can handle myself in a fight if it comes down to it.
It’s kind of fun to talk about the apocalypse and what we would do in such a situation. My roommates and I actually have a plan:
I live in a city, so priority number one would be to shore up the house’s defenses and gather loved ones. After that, my roommates and or family would take over the Home Depot or a similar store. This gives us resources like lumber, tools/weapons, seeds, batteries, etc. After that is accomplished we would start to become self sufficient. Growing plants, solar energy, etc. Once that is done, then we begin to rebuild.