IF SHTF...everyone's TRUE colors will come out!

I lost power for 7 days with Sandy. Like you I was prepared.
It was like living in the 1800's. Not that hard at all.

me and you both. i actually thrive in those situations. im not suited for a modern society so in an almost morbid way i kind of look forward to these kind of situations where i actually have use and i can become who i truly am and what im made for.

Yes, adversity always brings out someone's true colors.

In this current society, I think that's why so many people are afraid for what will happen if we had a truly national disaster (or larger!).

i live in the south, and when a storm knocks out power
in our area the people came together and helped
each other, even knocking on doors to see if they were o.k.

Yes, red... as in their blood will come out.

I can't wait to see what the all loving christians become...

some of us don't need SHTF scenarios to see people's 'true colors'

I had an awakening of sorts back in 2011... saw a lot of people in my life for what they truly were, including family members. I got rid of them and their toxicity. Best thing I've ever done, as I am finally living a happy, joyous life, void of people who would normally bring me down to the trenches of their discontent.

SHTF scenarios will certainly show what people are truly made of, but being able to figure that out ahead of time and act accordingly is a gift. I've never felt more in tune with the world and the people that truly matter since I got the balls up to just cleanse myself of these infected beings.

To be considered in addition to labeling as "true colors", are the actions many will take in such an event out of desperation stemming from being either unprepared or under prepared.

In one of the brief articles I've written for our website:
..."The guy down the street that you borrow a ladder from each Spring – let him see his children begin to starve while you and yours seemingly thrive. The delivery guy that has noticed the packages he has brought to your door – let him watch his ailing parents do without food or lose the heating in their home. The big one, and my personal greatest concern, what happens when those living on the government dole figure out they aren't getting their government checks and the local market and 7-11 have already been cleaned out?

More here: [link to mtnx.info]

To me SHTF means, among other things no food in the rocery stores.

Now, if otherwise normal people get into phisical knock down fights over panties and the latest overpriced Christmas goodie for their kid, what will they do when the food runs out?

In other words, people's true colors will be intensified.

this is just what I was thinking. when the food runs out, your street will look like Walmart on Black Friday.

That's awesome, that's how it should be. There was a "little" of that here but overall I felt disappointed at the disconnect (and I'm not talking about electricity).

It almost felt as if those who "had" were smugly lording it over those who did not. The lines at gas stations elicited rudeness and fighting, there was little cooperation and caring. I am sure there were isolated instances, but the overall feel was "every man for himself."

And gluttony/selfishness still prevailed... :(

Yes, scary and true. You're living up to your user name! :)

I have seen 'prep advisors' say that you should experience hunger, real hunger so you'll know the mindset of a hungry person demanding (or begging) for your food. Real hunger meaning to go without eating for 24 - 36 hours.

You might think, oh, this guy 'just' wants some food. No, he will have no reservations about killing you for your food and you must be prepared to kill him first.

I'm not a hard ass and I would be hard pressed to kill another person. I hope to keep a low profile and avoid that situation.

Absolutely, and we teach that very line of thought.

We here in the US have been blessed with enough prosperity to allow for apathy, greed, and complacency to take hold, while also destroying drive, work ethic, and initiative necessary to prepare for the future of one's self and family.

Essentially; the vast majority of people have no clue what TRUE hunger is, nor the effects on the mind & body. I'm not referring to an afternoon stretch to dinner because you missed lunch. I'm referring to real hunger. To watching your children cry from hunger (or thirst). To attempt to secure some sort of food for yourself and family, all the while expending even more calories in your search.

Then add in the cold, the wet, the dark, and the overwhelming stress that grows minute by minute as you look into the hungry eyes of your spouse and children.

There is a great humbling headed our way, and I assure you it will not be a nice process.

Last Edited by ClydeX on 12/04/2012 11:01 AM

I plan on living high in my honkey paradise Nevile style while taking on Matthaius and his albino plague victim family. I'll drink Fresca,eat Dolly Madison Zingers and chat with my golden skull Roy. I won't ask for help or offer it. And not one living thing that walks this earth better cross my lawn.

It happened to me in 2010. Since then I have been able to remove 99% of all "negative" people from my life. I became truly set in my beliefs, pretty much picked my team, and it has been the best move I have ever done.
I am overall a better person and feel I can now quickly choose the good from the bad.
Still adjusting to having open eyes though.

Walmart?

More like Dresden or Stalingrad during WW2.

People will surely kill others for their food or other goods. If tshtf, not just temporary storm blackouts, it will get ugly quickly.

If it turned out to be something like The Road, then I would likely see no point in struggling because there was no hope of finding a large group of survivors and rebuild. The whole planet was dead.

Other than that, I would just have to do my best to survive. Hook up with others so there is some level of security.

But Black Friday is a good example. I mean, look at what people do for a discount on stuff. I mean, the stuff isn't even free, or a necessity. Can you imagine what they would do for food to actually survive?

We were w/o power for 2 weeks following a hurricane here in FL once. It was brutal. 90+ degrees and humid as hell...no A/C. No ice, no fans, no cold drinks.

What you describe sounds like a vacation compared to that.

All good points.

You know, you can talk about prepping and watch movies like the road but having a little brush with real-life austerity is really eye-opening.

I do think that hunger makes people crazy. One thing to do is try and drink hot or warm water/make soups out of anything possible to kind of stave off the crazy painful hunger. The pain of hunger is odd in that it kind of comes and goes. You can adapt to it in some stages but there are certain stages that are truly crippling.

Aside from the physical, it's really important to just generally keep a calm mind and like other posters are saying to take care who you align with.

In the event of a real collapse/extended failing of infrastructure I do think a lot of people will have trouble forming effective groups though because our society does not really support that setting.

Aside from when you're a college student, group living is practically unheard of and almost frowned upon in our society. If you live with friends or family, people almost look down on you thinking you must not be able to afford to live "alone." A lot of this "take care of me and mine" going on--with "me and mine" meaning immediate wife/husband/kids. Even parents are outside the loop.

And btw, as one poster noted, many families are so dysfunctional perhaps this is a good thing.

Interesting how I am in the process of extricating myself from a very selfish and judgmental "family" and thinking about who else will take their place and other posters mention this.

Blood is not really thicker than water. If the blood is bad, perhaps you're better off with pure water.

I have thought a lot about this. The children especially.

Horrifying and terribly depressing.

I'm not sure I can face this.

Watch footage of Katrina, and more recently hurricane Sandy. There was elderly lady ripping off supplies in a grocery store.

You'll only see the scum looting in the land of plenty.

Wait until there is no plenty. Scum or worm food, your choice.

When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.

the majority are hypocritical douchebags anyway.

Yeah, we had a summer outage for a week once. No comparison, that was pure hell. All food went bad practically instantly, nights were miserable. Glad we only have that for about 3 months of the year here.

Yes prostitution will be rampant. Women will be gulping nuts for a can of soup.

People in America will go absolutely fucking bonkers unlike anything the world has ever seen.


... and we still have weapons which adds a nice fear factor for the government and military. You can just put cops up in front of the white house while citizens throw rocks like in greece for instance.


My guess is the entire government will leave as will most of the wealthy...

... but given some of us know they will try to run and hide, who is to say this isnt already planned for :)

Planet isn't as big as it once was.

You can technically say that for anything.

When tampons are outlawed only outlaws will have tampons.

Ironically, most of those whom many consider as "rich" will not fair as well in a long-term situation as being discussed here.

Those from a rural/ agrarian background will be much more suited to live through such event. The reason(s) for this are skill sets (life skills, as we label them), as well as having a familiarity with growing, hunting, preparing, storing, and even rationing food, in conjunction with "tightening the belt" when things are lean.

Time and exposure - those are the two keys to crating competence and skill sets. Affluence, even though it may create the possibilities for a warehouse of food and supplies, and even open opportunities of attending training courses and classes, in and of itself cannot provide these.

If I were to label the greatest move towards one becoming TRULY prepared, it would stem from arriving at and recognizing a point that one understands what they do not know, what they need to learn, and doing what is possible for them personally in order to increase their time and exposure of not only learning these aforementioned life skills, but also becoming well-versed in their use and application under adverse, trying conditions.