Mindset

[Hawkeye]

Originally posted by someone elsewhere:

Excessive survial prepping is fine as long as you recognize it as a hobby and we all know hobby funding comes AFTER all the other responsible obligations and the money comes from the left over disposible income. Don't doubt for a minute that the vast majority of excessive "prep" items will be thrown away or sold by your heirs resulting in a return of pennies on the dollar (as happens with most hobby items after death).

If you have the same mindset as the person I am quoting here, then I really urge you to take a long hard look into yourself. Being prepared, is not a hobby, just like the 2nd Amendment is not a hobby. Both are deadly serious things not to be taken lightly. Being prepared, is a lifestyle. Obviously, we are probably all at different stages of it due to many varying reasons, but the key part is that you view it as a way of living. Not something you do just for entertainment, which is what a hobby is. If you go at this with that kind of mindset, that this is a hobby, your chances of failure if and when the time comes, are exponentially higher than those who take it far more seriously. I imagine that, regardless of where we each are currently at, we all probably wish we were further along. I know I do. The difference I see is that the person with the right mindset, is truly concerned about where he is, and is constantly working, at what speed/rate is realistically possible for him, to move further along, whereas the "hobbiest" isnt really concerned with progressing and simply does it when/as it is convenient. Mark my words, their mindset is not the kind you want to have to rely on if/when our worst fears ever happen. I'd rather have someone with the right mindset but is on the lower end of the prep scale next to me, than a hobbiest who is stacked to the gunnels.

I am posting this because the above quoted person, is quite well known at another board for vigorously going after preparedness minded folks, and ridiculing them intently. To him, having 1 year worth of stored food, is "excessive" and stupid, among other things. There are a lot of folks like that out there. They want to progress the notion that preparedness minded folks, live a very lacking and unfullfilling life, are scared, depressed, or otherwise abnormal and undesireable members of society. I find this befuddling, because it has been my experience, that those who truly live with a preparedness mindset and lifestyle, are by and large very happy and content people, as they should be. They have far less to actually worry about. I find that its those who view being prepared as a hobby, who are the ones that seem to have issues.

What we view as preparedness and a survivalst lifestyle now, was just normal living to our Forefathers. I urge you to think about that real hard. Get your mindset right. Do not worry about what other may "think".

[Lowdown3]

If I've done my part, my son will not "throw out" any of our preps after our death.

You know, no matter what angle you use to look at it- their is NOTHING stupid about storing a year supply of food. For even the hobbyist , they are SAVING MONEY because in the future the food will be considerably higher priced than now. The $7. per 50lb. bag rice we put up in the 90's we are eating now which would have cost $17. a bag now. That's money we are not putting out right now.

Folks like that are not really survivalists. Their are a lot of gun nuts that have crossed ONE FOOT over into survivalism but have never put both feet in the boat. Their are a lot of people that were MILDLY concerned about things that have ONE FOOT in the survivalism canoe and one foot on dry land. You can only stand there so long with one foot in the boat and one foot out of the boat.......

[Hawkeye]

Your exactly right.

That particular person, is the antithesis of a survivalist. He does not like them, at all, and goes out of his way to hunt down their posts on a particular board, and hound them relentlessly. His idea of how to prepare for bad times, is to go back to school and get multiple degrees, and diversify your financial portfolio with varying market investments. He's a narcissistic statist as well. He feels that the US is unsinkable - too big/important to fail. Goods and services will always be available, etc....... It seems that so many buy into this line of thinking. Its a security blanket I guess. I love my country dearly, but I am not so naive, or arrogant, as to think the same as the folks who built the Titanic. I mean, that worked out so well and all.........

My point in making the post, aside from venting a little, was hopefully to get folks to think hard about why they are doing this, and to not let the thoughts and ridiculings/potential ridiculings of others, disuade them from making choices.

[dilli]

My point in making the post, aside from venting a little, was hopefully to get folks to think hard about why they are doing this, and to not let the thoughts and ridiculings/potential ridiculings of others, disuade them from making choices.

ours was a lifestyle choice long before we saw the financial/economic side to any of it. It just happened to come about while living what we love...thankfully we also caught on to the econ side not too far into our plans so that we could adjust long range goals like debt , food preps etc rather than realign our whole being

that said...the more people ridicule, dissuade and so on the more i back out of what most consider typical society and the more adamant I become in helping others do the same or at least a variation of it they are comfortable with..

[Lowdown3]

Your exactly right.

That particular person, is the antithesis of a survivalist. He does not like them, at all, and goes out of his way to hunt down their posts on a particular board, and hound them relentlessly. His idea of how to prepare for bad times, is to go back to school and get multiple degrees, and diversify your financial portfolio with varying market investments. He's a narcissistic statist as well. He feels that the US is unsinkable - too big/important to fail. Goods and services will always be available, etc....... It seems that so many buy into this line of thinking. Its a security blanket I guess. I love my country dearly, but I am not so naive, or arrogant, as to think the same as the folks who built the Titanic. I mean, that worked out so well and all.........

My point in making the post, aside from venting a little, was hopefully to get folks to think hard about why they are doing this, and to not let the thoughts and ridiculings/potential ridiculings of others, disuade them from making choices.

OK, it isn't who I thought it was... ;) Course that person has come around to advocating food storage now whereas a few years ago he would say "you can always BUY food." I'm keeping hope that he saw the error in that type of thinking. :)

[protus]

OK, it isn't who I thought it was... ;) Course that person has come around to advocating food storage now whereas a few years ago he would say "you can always BUY food." I'm keeping hope that he saw the error in that type of thinking. :)

yeah 1st person i thought of as well till i saw that. Only other person i know that acts that way is some 20 yr old college kid that trolls around the SF elsewhere,saying you need a good portfolio and better education to survive......though with how hawk says he attacks "survivalist" it cant be that forum.

Anyone who acts like hawk posted is close minded and not a realist when it comes to the current polticcal/economical enviroment.
SHTF is not always about zombies........a car wreck, job loss or broken leg scare me more than any amount of un dead or russian para troopers landing in my back yard.:p

[monkeybird]

I have no idea who would write such a thing for a survival forum. Apparently I'm not in the know! I do however, think some people do act like survivalism is a hobby. I'm thinking of the person who has 100 guns and a zillion rounds but only a months worth of food. There are such people. I have actually read posts on other sites about people who brag about their extensive gun collection then in another thread talk about losing their home. I have read posts of people who brag about all the survival stuff they buy, but have no real plan for dealing with the day to day aspects of TEOTWAWKI.

I do not want to lead the survivalist life style. I liked my old life just fine thank you. I am not stupid however, and I realize that the PARTY'S OVER, so to speak.

The last thing I want to spend my money and energy on is survival supplies. But I do. It's not a hobby, it's not really a life style choice (I liked being asleep), it's more like a necessity.

Sounds like the individual who is quoted is in major denial!