What Kind of Survivalist are You?
October 8, 2011, Submitted by: Ken Tweet
Generally speaking, there is mostly only one stereotype for a ‘survivalist’ or ‘prepper’ out there in the mainstream. Most of the general public think of a survivalist or prepper as one or some of the following…
A gun ‘nut’
Someone who hates the government and is ready to do ‘battle’
Someone who desires to be alone or to only be with their ‘own kind’
Someone who believes the end-of-the-world is eminent
A hoarder of food and supplies
A delusional crackpot
A religious extremest
A misfit of society
As in all walks of life, there are all types of folks. Sure, there are those that fit into one or some of the categorical stereotypes. I have lived long enough to learn that there are an amazing number of differing mindsets.
People are a product of many influences… their parents, their upbringing, their own life experiences of both good and bad, their jobs, their friends, their enemies, their exposure to the marketing machine of ‘the system’, their conviction to their own beliefs, on and on… The point being that someone cannot or should not be stereotyped because of one or a few traits that others may see in them. The real ‘them’ may be quite different from what you may think.
Having said that, what I’m getting at is that there is not one stereotype of a survivalist or prepper. Sure, you could say that many share similar ideals, but every survivalist or prepper is different in their own way.
For example, there are those in the survivalist / prepper community that are hard core. They are really into firearms, ‘don’t tread on me’, vocal about their liberties, ready to survive in the woods with buried stashes of food, etc. That’s all fine and good. No quarrels here… However these are not necessarily ‘the’ qualifying traits of a survivalist, at least in my opinion.
There are those that consider themselves survivalists in the sense that they are determined to survive the uncertainties of today relative to the modern world that they live in. In other words, they may not have trained to survive in the woods foraging for edible wild plants, or they may not own a firearm, but they may be honing their own unique adaptability skills, building a base of food and supplies for emergency, and becoming more informed about the risks of the world they live in.
You may stereotype the last example to be more of a ‘prepper’ than a survivalist, but I disagree with that notion. Someone who is preparing or has prepared for risk and uncertainty is doing so to survive the things that may be thrown at them.
The media that I’ve seen in the mainstream, when portraying survivalists, or exemplifying them in TV shows, or interviewing them in real life, is nearly always tilted towards the extreme. This leads others to think that what they are seeing or hearing is ‘the’ typical survivalist. Well, either I’m a one-of-a-kind survivalist while all others are hard core, or the media has purposefully sought out the hard core while ignoring the numbers of preppers who ‘fit in’ with society and are privately building a base of self support and self sufficiency as they recognize that they are ultimately responsible for their own lives.
So, I encourage you to not stereotype the definition of ‘survivalist’ to the extreme. Instead, consider that there are many that are simply taking charge of their own lives and preparing themselves for uncertainty.
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Real simple survivalist is someone whom uses COMMON SENSE AND WHAT WORKS FOR THEM. Each people can survive in different ways that work for them and might not at all work for someone else. There are of course common sense traits that every survivalist should use, like keeping an open mind and not letting a totally failing society dictate your thoughts for you. The failed survivalist is someone whom has done what the mass public asks of them, and the majority of the population falls into this category sadly.
@Ken; You are right about the MSM and others’ treatment of of those that would be prepared to survive extreme, abnormal circumstances and situations. Example given would be the NGC’s hour long doc. on “survivalists”. My wife said that I should call them when they were soliciting “volunteers” to interview. I said HYLYFM? And they did pretty much what we probably would have agreed to in advance that they would do. What morons, on both sides of the camera. The unfortunate or “fortunate” thing though is that survivalists must have some degree of most of the 8 traits that you mentioned above. Here are 8 characteristics that I would input as counterpoints for discussion as to what a survivalist would need. 1. Survivor mindset. 2. Adaptability. 3. Situation appropriate knowledge. 4. Being prepared to survive (food, equipment and location). 5. Appropriate martial skills and knowledge. 6. The support of others but the ability to survive extended periods alone. 7. Adequate physical health. 8. Faith. Now, I know you’re trying to provoke discussion by the list you have made, so I will give it a go and I’ll use your 8 points. I don’t know what a gun nut is. I have somewhere around 30-40 firearms, so some would call that a “weapons cache”, I would call it a collection. I would certainly be a “nut” to the left-wing-liberal fops that want only the police and military to have guns. I consider myself to be a “normal” everyday person that is and enthusiast of shooting and firearms as oppposed to golf. I also hate what my government “has become”, I do not hate my country and for those of us that are survivalists we should guard “jealously” our tree of freedom and those that would come near, which is our privacy, preparations and free will. I am alone in the sense that I don’t live in an “avowed” neighborhood of survivalists but I live in a rural area with a “confined” pool of somewhat similar neighbors. In certain situations it may be to your advantage to be alone, don’t want to overload the lifeboat. I do have some like-minded friends in the local area. As far as TEOTWAKI, the higher the number of scenarios that you prepare for the more likely that you are right, that TEOTWAKI is near and it would be reasonable to be prepared. The psychological definition of hoarding is the “compulsive” gathering of things together for no cogent reason. Of course if your “normalcy bias” as you phrased it, or your “paradigm of what’s average” is that of most of the 300+ million people in the U.S., then we (I) are way outside the realm of average but not outside of a cogent response to significantly real threats. I do not think that you have to be a delusional crackpot to survive, but here again because you (the general you) think like a survivalist, then you are outside the “norm” of the average person on the street. Let me say this about average, 50% of the people you meet today are BELOW average and the socially average person/family (and below) will not survive significant societal disruption. Just because you have an IQ of 100 doesn’t have any more bearing on your survival than having an IQ of 120+ has any bearing on it either. If you have not prepped then you will most likely not survive if it that extreme. If it is less extreme then you might survive at the whims of the gubment or others. If you survive in that state it will just be luck. A religious extremist is a lot like being a gun nut. Some are bonkers and some are just dedicated, whether you agree or not. I probably would not get along in a Mormon enclave and yet have no social problems with them, we are simply different. I am a fundamental christian and fiscally conservative but I have some libertarian social points of view as well as common sense and an open mind. Of course the LWL definition of open mind is that you “see the light” and agree with them instead of listen to what they have to say, evaluate it for yourself and disagree if it remains logical to do so. If I were being “surveyed”, that’s a really interesting psych term, used in place of “psych evaluation”, I would probably be diagnosed with a “personality disorder” according to the DSM-IV. Which basically means that if the “shrink” thinks you’re an asshole or that you don’t think the way that they think that you should, then there is something wrong with you and you are “diagnosed” with a mental/social deficit, i.e. a misfit. I am a natural leader and something of an asshole (perfectionist). If you are going to do something at all then I think you should do it right and that’s the end of the story. I’m sometimes hard to get along with since I require, and believe in, actions for consequences. Some folks think I’m mean and we all know “mean people suck”. Yeah, well, we survive! We don’t take any “half-assed” shit from anyone. A recent sociological survey (a real survey)noted that most military leaders and the CEOs and corporate leaders, the people that make things happen, are generally considered to be mean people. Oh, well. Of course being mean or very pointed in your opinions, must rest on logical and cogent thought processes with specific goals in mind. To be pointlessly mean for no reason will not help you survive. If you went to the mall and surveyed every teen and adult about what they would do in an emergency to survive various situations, I would bet that most of them wouldn’t have a clue and further more they would think that you (us) are a nut case. Interested in hearing what others say about survival traits. Enjoy.
I purposely used the terms, ‘gun nut’, hoarding, etc. because those are the exact terms that are used by the MSM – I used them to exemplify that point… For example, some from the MS may also consider me to be a gun nut, even though I barely own one-third of what you have
@ TripodXL. You know something, the difference between you and those that are so highly critical of those trying to learn as much as possible to survive is you are going to make it through the really awful times and you will have the last laugh.
@BI; Well, thank you for your confidence. I would rather that many more would take it seriously. I don’t want to JUST be right, I want to survive but I want more people to take this seriously. It is actually heartbreaking that sooooo many people will not provide for their future.
Agree that there is a plethora of ‘types’ of people that have a widely varying degree of preparedness ‘smarts’ in their tool kit. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as you pointed out. But those of us that are more prepared that the next, have no idea how more or less prepared our neighbor, or for that matter, the local community may be. So to survive when TSHTF may require one to exclude others (and their poor planning) from enjoying a longer and less stressful period of recovery (remember the grasshopper and the ants?).
Should we encounter such a time when AHBL (all heck breaks loose), look for me to be one of those ‘survivors’ that took over the local CostCo and moved in. They do have a rather large pantry, eh??
I don’t buy into the who prepper vs. survivalist label. It boils down to this… there are two types of people in this world. Those who have their head up their A$$ and those who don’t. Labels “prepper” and “survivalist” are used to divide people further. There varying degrees of preparedness, just like there are varying degrees of people who have the head up their A$$. Good articles, though. Love the page
Agreed. The word, ‘prepper’ sounds softer than ‘survivalist’ and is often used with that intent, although both share the same basic ideals and therefore are basically one in the same. Like you said, there are varying degrees of everything.
@Veritas; Jeff Cooper, of 1911A1 .45 ACP fame, had a saying in one of his books, it goes like this. “There are those that eat grass and then there are those that eat those, that eat grass”. I use this in the part of my concealed handgun classes where the consequences of deadly force must be considered. It really provokes thought. Anyway, thought you might like it. Enjoy.
Well, I do distinguish between a prepper and a survivalist. I consider myself a prepper lite. I live in a condo, in a small city in Canada, in an active earthquake zone, that is how I got started being prepared. While researching earthquake preparedness I stumbled upon a whole new world of other things to prepare for, so started putting more aside, just in case. But I realize that I will never be self-sustaining, I can only stock up, and hope I can last through any minor/major upheaval until stores re-open. I did get a book about edible and medicinal plants of Canada, and put a short-wave radio in a faraday container, even have a battery, inverter and solar panel charger. But really, without land and a cabin in a remote location I could never consider myself a survivalist.
A gun ‘nut’
Someone who hates the government and is ready to do ‘battle’
Someone who desires to be alone or to only be with their ‘own kind’
Someone who believes the end-of-the-world is eminent
A hoarder of food and supplies
A delusional crackpot
A religious extremest
A misfit of society
YEP, Thats describes me dead on.
I have to comment a little more on surviving. Many people unfortunately live by the moment and have no concept of any type of the future. This is one reason that the credit debacle, so many people just see what they want right now and do not think about the consequences of buying something that later they have to pay for it. I have seen these TV sitcoms that show someone with a piggy bank and inside of the piggy bank are full of IOU’s and no change inside at all. This is the mentality of so many that not to save or plan for the future, but just use what is there. What could a handful of change buy now? Not much. Yet a bucket of change that has been saved over the course of months adds up to plenty.
With survival there are 2 barriers that must be breached to the common person that is so against saving for the future. First is the individual must get rid of the habit of purchasing and obtaining THINGS that are of no value to them and only have items that they can actually use. This is the foundation for training the mind to value THINGS that really matter that are of use to them. Next is for the person to realize that those THINGS that are of value to them might not be there for them and must be put away for lean times.
Right now people just go out and purchase what they need and when it breaks or is used up, they just repeat the cycle. This is especially true in regards to money, why should they put money away when the credit card will buy anything they need type way of thinking. So many people have not gone without, they just go out and get what they need and want. Money, food and other items have no value to most people because it WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR THEM, in their minds.
Anyone that has gone through a true disaster, and this goes to say also a true financial disaster, understands what it is like to not have anything and not be able to get anything and hopefully has taken that LESSON as learning to put away for the times when there is nothing. There was much wisdom that came from those that went through the Great Depression that you have to have something in the pantry when times are scarce.
Thanks to the shear stupidity of the CHARGE IT generation people have completely forgotten about saving and putting something away for the bad times. As TripodXL says above it is extremely sad that so many have absolutely no desire to prepare for when something eventually does occur. These people are going to resemble Lord of the Flies movie or something like the Postman or Mad Max films in which people of ALL ages are going to behave like wild animals when the faucets run dry, the toilets don’t flush, the grocery store is empty, the light switch doesn’t come on along with their I pods, cell phones, computers, every modern day toy. These people have not even given a thought to going without and are going to act like scared animals during a massive thunderstorm and panic.
My God, do these people have any idea what would happen with an EMP event from the sun, that has happened countless times in the past and WILL happen again. These poor people probably would not even have a clue to even get safe water to drink. I could see people literally drinking water from the gutters of streets without even trying to purify it. I could see people literally eating each other. This is a state that has also repeated itself in the past where people have forgotten what it is to prepare.
Prepared and survivalist are both terms that the public finds offensive. Survivalist is viewed as nut job with enough weapons to take on a platoon or company of soldiers. The softer term of preparer or prepper is still looked above as someone that wastes they money and time being ready for something that will never happen that is simply not armed to the teeth. Both terms are still looked upon by the masses and the mass media as people that are wasting away their lives waiting for the end of the world.
What I heard once that really nauseated me was some idiot telling someone whom was a survivalist to wake up and start living their lives because one day they would wake up and find out that they had no fun and they let their entire life slip away from them. This person was not obsessed with the end of the world jargon either, they just wanted to be ready just in case. This person was not me either, but it make me sick to here this attitude that is so commonplace with everyone now. It is so sad, so many people are going to become statistics without even trying. So pathetic.
I don’t consider myself either of the options. Yes, I have a stock of canned food. yes, I have a way to defend myself. No, I do not know martial arts. No, my health is not great, I would have a tough time just camping. Physically I’m a mess.
But I do have mental survival skills. I versed in the trivium, use it daily and can sort out the bull from the facts.
Without the ability to tell when you are being played, when you are being lied too and how you are being lied too, all the survival skills will mean nothing if you do not have the ability to remove the trash from the news being laid upon you.
being mentally prepared is not going over a list of items in your mind, it’s not “sucking it up” and making fire out of twiggs. Mental survivalist can sit back and logically think about a subject and not get distracted by all the “what ifs.”
If you consume your mind with all the ways your world could come crashing down you will not see the truth.
@ Rachel. You know you are ahead of 95%+ of the crowd in the mere fact that you have taken some account of what could happen. People listen blindly to the media that you don’t have to be ready for anything and they are the ones that are lost. People listen blindly to those that others consider to be authority figures without thinking for themselves with an open mind about what could be. You are ahead of most, good for you.
The news media can depict us anyway they want. We are getting ready for the time when we will have to survive without modern toys like electricty.
Water, food, good camping supplies, fuel, firearms and enough ammo to last a while is what we have. We also have a very good understanding of how a person will act without all those toys, water, and food. That is where we differ from everyone else – we have prepared to get through the hard times.
We expect the difficulty to be life changing for us, our family and our nation. God help us we do know it is coming – just watch the news. Our nation is falling apart from within just like the Roman Empire. We will be judged for what we do to help ourselves and our families. Strangers who did not prepare will be raiding – stealing – and dying by the droves through illness, lack of good water and having no food for them or their families. I feel like Noah after the door was closed on the ark. “You had your chance.”
What kind am I? A tired one. I decided to take a break from preparing and went out to buy new shoes. Instead I ended up at a hardware store buying propane for the winter. Goodbye fall fashions, hello staying warm this winter.
It never ceases to amaze me the spectrum of different views people have, even when they share a common label. If they were going to pigeon-hole me into some stereotype, I would guess “crackpot”. Ask my wife, she even thinks my views are extreme, and she’s a prepper.
i’m a backyard-gardening, metals-trading, home-fermenting, egg-collecting, neo-back-to-the-landing, leave-me-alone-and-i’ll-do-the-same-to-you kind of survivalist.
@All; Hooha! Wish we all lived in the same ‘hood. Prolly be a whole lot more fun fending off the zombies with good company like this. Rachel, being smart and prepared is preferable to being a stupid, prepared, special ops guy. As barter411 says the spectrum is large but the goal is a common unifying factor.
The whole range of people that visit this site more than once have one thing in common, they are thinking about being ready for what is coming eventually. Throughout all of human history there has been major upheavals that have completely altered the way humans survive. From new inventions to going from farming to industry, to wars, change comes hard, often for the better, sometimes for the worst. Right now humankind is in a stagnant period that is actually quiet in comparison to other times.
People are so nervous because there is something big on the foreseeable near future. While there are some events that are frightening there is nothing that is like the past wars, the past plagues, the past mass starvations, the past ready for global war at a moment’s push of the button. Times are quiet, really more so that anytime in most people’s lifetimes other than maybe the 1920′s. Look at the past as proof at the World Almanac that has a world and U.S. history section to show this point. Right now, things are quiet, like a stinken quagmire, ready to go ballastic on so many fronts.
The people that visit this site and other survival sites that are not as interesting are at least thinking about ways to be ready. This sets them apart from those couch potatoes that sit like blobs in front of a big screen TV and watch mind numbing whatever. These individuals sadly do not even store up the junk food that they gorge themselves on. After all they just know that they just have to go to store and get more when they need it. The people that are at least thinking about survival have planeted a seed in their minds to what might happen and the need to have something for this. Whether that seed flourishes or not is up to them, but at least they have taken a first step towards being prepared.
I have personally seen people that have very little money and some of them that are in ill health and yet they TRY to prepare for what could happen. I have much admiration and respect for these people. This one word TRY is something that is so lacking in these Fat-tards, that wonderful term TripodXL came up, the simple effort of trying.
Sadly there is a disease that is going around everywhere and it is complete and utter mental, physical, and spiritual complacency. People have become total lazy sloths that are so unwilling to even give the thought into their minds of something that COULD happen. I use the Jetsons cartoon as the analogy that technology has made so many into mental dead heads. At least the Jetsons were trim and not blobs of blubber.
This is why this site and others are so valuable because it makes people think and use their brains. When people stimulate each other’s thoughts with new ideas on making your life better, safer, and survivable, this is so constructive. This site is like a college classroom in which people come up with ideas and answers to problems that we all face.
Just look at these other sites in which gossip rules and the quality of what is spewed back and forth with each other. It is about how a cute a boy is, or how hot a girl is. It is about one’s trip to mall. It is ass monkey gibberish that has no intellectual value to it at all. There was a study done on this and the common teenagers are suffering big time with their grades at school and their learning abilty because so many hours are spent on worthless talk and activity that have no substance to them.
Modern Survival Blog and other survival sites serve people to prepare them to survive, and that includes the times right now in which there is not yet a global type catastrophe. Survival is about insight, about using your brain, about getting ready for the possibility of what could happen, about what you can personally do to make it foir when you have to.
Not to over do it, but just imagine what it will be like for those that have mentally refused to even consider that something terrible might happen to the society that they are completely dependent on. These people have not even stored anything and have no idea what to do even if the electricity goes off for more than a day. These people are doomed before anything occurs without even giving the slightest effort of TRYING. These people are probably doomed if nothing ever happens because they are likely to succumb to some early life disease from very poor life styles.
One of the real definitions of a survivalist is someone that at least considers that something could happen and TRIES to prepare for it in the best way they can.