Being forced to endure and survive a catastrophic macro event like a monetary or social collapse is perhaps one of the worst experiences I could imagine. Such a crisis leads to just about every crime and inhuman action in existence, and, the time required for a culture to right itself and rebuild is severely protracted. A hurricane or earthquake or tidal wave; these calamities are short lived and easy in comparison. The point is, as survivalists who are preparing to make an economic end-game scenario as “comfortable” to live through as we can, it is incumbent upon us to consider the kind of company we keep during the gambit. Some allies will make that mad world bearable; others will bring the madness to your doorstep
Many preppers are aware of the dangers inherent in our progressively deteriorating nation. Unfortunately, some of them are completely unaware of the dangers inherent within themselves. Building a solid community of people to rely on during a collapse is absolutely essential, and the larger the group of liberty minded neighbors the better. But, if certain ground rules are not established from the very beginning, a rainbow of personal issues and character flaws could very well destroy years of effort. Care must be taken by all parties involved to ensure that internal conflicts remain at a minimum, and when they do arise, that each person is wise enough to resolve issues in an adult manner.
I hate to say it, but you will inevitably run into some folks that are beyond compromise and beyond hope. Working with them is like pulling teeth…shark’s teeth…from your jugular. Here are just a handful of powder keg personalities that will make the apocalypse more than a living hell for you and your friends if they manage to latch onto or take leadership in your survival watch…
1) The Self Assumed “Leader”
The “Assumed Leader” is not actually a reliable or practical leader; he just thinks he is, and reminds everyone loudly whenever he can find occasion. He does not generally do this by screaming “I AM YOUR LEADER!” Instead, he attempts to micro-manage every aspect of the survival group and shows early signs of control issues. The Assumed Leader will first make forceful suggestions to test the waters, scoffing angrily whenever people do not strictly follow his advice. If he gains traction, his suggestions turn into orders, and he begins to act as though he is somehow in a superior position to the rest of the community.
He seems to have an answer to every question or concern, which would be nice if he actually knew what he as talking about half of the time. Usually, this is not the case. He may have expertise in a certain field, like farming, or building, or engineering, or even defense, and this is indeed valuable. However, his mastery of one area of knowledge has inflated his ego to massive proportions and he now pretends as if he is some kind of hyper-educated elitist potentate. When approached with alternative options and methods, he will respond with ridicule as if you have no clue what you are talking about. When his ideas are criticized, he will react with fury, and try to remove dissenters from the community entirely.
The best way to avoid these people is to discover them early in your prepping project, and to make certain that NO ONE becomes a De facto dictator. Every person with particular expertise within the community should be given respect in that specific field, but not given authority over all decisions. The experienced farmer should offer leadership when it comes to farming, but step aside when it comes to defense and defenders, and vice versa. It is best to keep in mind that the most effective leaders always ask those around them for aid and advice before coming to any conclusion. The worst leaders already assume they know everything.
2) The Feudal Lord
The Feudal Lord is an Assumed Leader who has managed to lure other preppers into a Commune, rather than a Community, and there is a considerable difference. He is often a well-off survivalist who has suddenly realized that for all his money and land and supplies, he is basically defenseless, and needs an organized group to protect his bounty. He entices other preppers into the fold with ideas that he is building a legitimate and fair community, and with land already available, many take interest. The problem is, the Feudal Lord believes possession of the land that the group is defending automatically makes him Grand Poobah, and that those people are not equals, but servants and serfs.
I have found that Feudal Lords also have a tendency to charge people "fees" for the right to join their communes. They will argue that this is designed to "vet" candidates and see if they are truly "serious" about survival prepping. In the dark corner of their minds, however, they actually believe that they are OWED a tithe from anyone who wishes to earn the "privilege" of becoming a permanent installment on their property. From the very beginning they go into the project with almost no sincere regard for the people they are working with.
The reality is, the Feudal Lord’s land and supplies are utterly meaningless without security and without aid. His survival riches can be taken in an instant by a mere handful of looters, or even one experienced raider. Without other people, treated as equals in survival and ready to lay down their lives to protect each other and him, he has nothing, and is foolhardy to think otherwise.
This is not to say that all landowners who try to centralize a group on their property are seeking to become mini-kings of a mini-kingdom. If rules and agreements are made early on, and everyone understands their role, then such an arrangement could work. But, if the landowner purposely avoids set agreements, appoints roles to people without asking them, changes the plan regularly to suit himself, and tries to leech money out of participants, then it’s time to walk away now before it is too late. Eventually he WILL use his position as landowner as a means to dominate, and will threaten to cast people out who disagree with his methods.
The best way to avoid these characters and the commune situation altogether is to not centralize on a single piece of land, but to organize in a neighborhood fashion, where everyone maintains sovereign control of what they do and all aid is voluntary.
3) The Moral Relativist
There is, sadly, a small subsection of survivalists out there who do not plan to live off their own preps; they plan to confiscate the preps of others by force and solve every problem at the barrel of a gun. In their mind, a crisis situation calls for the abandonment of conscience and the application of a “survival of the fittest” mentality. They believe that morals are all well and good when civilized society remains, but a source of weakness during catastrophe. Their philosophy is: Only the strongest of men will be able to set aside principle and “do what needs to be done”. That is to say, they believe you must become the monster to defeat the monster.
In fact, only men who are able to hold onto their principles during the worst moments are strong. Weak men run away from conscience, using the excuse that times are “different and difficult”. They are not survivalists, they are terrorists in every sense, and they will only hurt our ultimate goal of rebuilding a free, prosperous, and individualistic society.
These people should be avoided like the plague. They will make enemies wherever they go, ask you to do highly questionable things, and push your community into annihilation. Eventually, somebody is going to put them out of their misery, and it’s best to not be around when that happens.
4) The Obsessive
The Obsessive is a person whose drive is initially impressive but also ultimately destructive. His entire life revolves around survival prepping and impending doom. Certainly, it is better to be extra concerned about the economic crisis on the horizon than to be utterly oblivious. A smart man over-prepares. But, there is such a thing as overkill, even in the world of survivalism.
No one can ever do enough fast enough in this person’s eyes. He will whine constantly about how he is the only one taking preparations seriously, and how everyone else is a lazy bum. He will become frantic on a daily basis, admonishing the group or community on their lack of urgency. In a leadership position, this person is a nightmare, creating constant waves of tension and panic, instead of calmly offering solutions or constructive criticism.
Obsessives are generally unimaginative people with little talent or intelligence who use their prepping lifestyle as their only means to feel superior to others. They tend to become legends in their own minds, dreaming of the day when everyone will desperately cling to them and their remedial survival know-how. They fantasize about all the people who "wouldn't take their advice" (usually smug advice), crawling in squalor begging them for help one day.
The Obsessive’s motto is: “Let me tell you why you are wrong and how you are lazy!” Instead of: “How can I help you fix this?”
We all need a break once in a while from the horrors we know are waiting for us. To step back and enjoy what we can of a beautiful day or good friends is not the same as being a freeloader or a backslider within your prepper group. Survival is about more than sustaining the body. It is about more than chopping wood, stockpiling ammo, and slaving over a piece of land from sun up until sundown like a mindless drone just to get by; it is also about sustaining the heart and the mind. Otherwise, what is the point of living?
5) The Ulterior Motive Drama Queen
The Drama Queen is a man or woman who is loosely interested in survivalism, but wants to join your community for other reasons, and these reasons may cause many members dismay. The opposite of The Obsessive, you’ll notice a strange non-involvement on their part or lack of interest as far as participating in survival discussions and decision making. They will often hand over all their survival preparation plans to another person or persons, while hovering like a gnat around the community searching for that special something.
They may be looking for friends and social recognition. They may be afraid of collapse and simply trying to lock into ANY group regardless of whether they fit, becoming disenchanted later. They may enjoy the excitement of feeling like they are involved, and are living vicariously through the accomplishments of others. They may just be looking for a date. Ultimately, their primary objective is not to build a working community, but to get something out of the community beyond safety.
If they do not get what they want, they raise hell, using whatever excuse happens to be handy without ever admitting their real motivations. They will deliberately start unnecessary drama, attempt to create divisions, focus on one person as the cause of all their troubles, or blame the whole group for the heartache in their life. They will attempt to draw everyone into their personal soap opera in the hopes of becoming the focal point, sharing strange and extremely private issues with anyone who accidentally offers to listen.
Eventually, they will be seen for what they are and will lose the ear of the other preppers, who obviously have better things to worry about, but not after wreaking some havoc in the process.
6) The Zealot
The Zealot has a perfect picture in his mind of how his survival community is going to look. Absolutely perfect. The problem is, all people are imperfect and all have different conceptions of life, and this disturbs and disrupts the Zealot’s fantasy. It is one thing to be careful in whom you associate with when assembling a prepper organization, but it is entirely another to hold everyone to insane standards that even you cannot meet.
The Zealot usually wants to be in charge so that he can vet and control each member of the group, but this is not always the case. Zealots are also sometimes highly anti-social, showing interest in a group for a short time and then suddenly walking away as if no one is up to par. He may base his zealotry on a misplaced religious fervor or philosophical inflexibility, but he will not be happy until everyone sees the world the way he does, or until they meet his grandiose brand of moral flawlessness. For him, it is not enough that the community around him shares a love for liberty and a disdain for tyranny, they must also be “spiritually pure” in his eyes.
One mistake or disagreement by a member of the group earns them a black mark on the Zealot’s list which he never forgets. From then on, that member is the enemy, and the Zealot will engineer conflict after conflict until the person gives up and goes away, or until he can convince the group that person is more trouble than they are worth.
The great dilemma for any survivalist is to balance personal freedom and a peaceful home life with the reality that they will not last long without relying on a group. Other people bring talent, friendship, and safety to our lives, but they also bring baggage. The key is to work with those who know how to manage as much of their own baggage as possible, who are aware of themselves and are willing to police their own quirks, and who have not swan dived off a cliff into extreme disturbia. No survival community can withstand the savage assault of national collapse otherwise.
You can contact Brandon Smith at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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written by KT , December 07, 2012
Don't forget the murderers who think it's ok to shoot someone who comes to their front door to ask for help or food in the name of protecting their "beans and bullets" LOL. These people are the most dangerous and usually promote morals and discipline but when it comes down to it, have neither.
written by Sergio , December 07, 2012
Interesting article.
The bottom line, as I see it, is that all people are guilty of sin. That means each person is capable of devolving into some unredeemed version of themselves - particularly under stress.
Unfortunately, if the SHTF, all of us are going to be in over our heads. The learning curve is going to be very steep. The bad moral and character habits we have kept hidden with creature comforts are going to come to the surface, like rocks when the sand has been swept away by a strong current.
The real trick is going to be recognizing that, yes, each one of us could be any or all of those things under the wrong circumstances. The apostle Paul said he was the worst of sinners.
written by Brandon Smith , December 07, 2012
@Stienberg
It seems you have missed the underlying point of the article as well as the overall message, which is not surprising since you obviously have no understanding of personality types and how they function.
Tell me, who exactly am I doing caricatures of specifically? Outlining personality traits to watch out for, and which do in fact show up in particular people in an extreme way on occasion, is not the same as making a judgement on any particular person. It appears as if you took the article personally, and you might ask yourself why that is...
Personality features are inherent functions of the human psyche. They are in fact NOT unpredictable, but often static. It takes a great deal of hardship and self-searching for those with extreme imbalances to mend their ways. And to answer your points of contention:
A) I am indeed writing about situations which have taken place. Every crisis in human history dredges up people with these focused character flaws. Even minor crises (which some of us have lived through) result in clashes caused by such people. Either you have been living under a rock for most of your life, or, you are ignoring reality in order to support a biased argument.
B) At what point did I suggest that you look at ANYONE through a "preconceived lens"? Show me the line in the article. Show where I ask you to "assume" that a person in your group is one of these types. In fact, I merely point out the qualities of these types of people, and suggest you take care when inviting those who exhibit these qualities into your group. If you suffer from preconceptions or assumptions, then that is your character flaw, not the flaw of people around you or the article itself.
Also, as I point out in the article, nobody is perfect. Everyone has baggage. However, only a fool would deny that there are some folks out there who are beyond diplomacy and a dangerous element that should be avoided. Anyone who claims otherwise has no understanding of humanity, and little experience with people, especially in high tension situations.
written by Mcahn , December 08, 2012
I appreciated your article Brandon. Thanks for putting your experience and thoughts to 'electronic paper'!
written by Patrick Henry 2013 , December 08, 2012
Ben Dover,
Tell your comments to someone effected by Sandy. I'm sure those that didn't,t have preps wish they had, those the did are glad they did and those that shared in their supplies were blessed.
What a completely ignorant statement , to think you actually wasted time writing it. Nd to think I am actually spending time replying to your foolishness!
written by ToBe or NotBe , December 08, 2012
Brandon,
Thank you so much for covering this aspect of prepping. It is one that has missed almost all of the discussion over the last few years, yet is one that is crucial.
During my corporate life, I participated in creative workshops in which some of the characters you have broached upon showed up exactly as you have outlined. Fortunately, it was just part of the experience and didn't take away from the overall enjoyment of the workshops, and obviously helped me to see exactly what you are talking about.
The advantage of life experience, coupled with additional knowledge, is that it helps to spot potential problems before they become unresolvable.
I am quite tolerant of people but, not where it applies to truly bad behavior, but more to idiosyncrasies and just accepting people for who they are. It can be trying at times, but I believe they are more likely to fully participate if they don't feel pressured to stretch too far from their norm, and when they can also recognize on their own that something they did crossed a line, and say so.
It's very fulfilling to see growth in someone who is being mentored, or just brought along. It helps when the ego can take a back seat for the common good.
Thank you again for bringing this up as it has essentially been left out of most prepper info.
written by bill derberg5 , December 08, 2012
This advise doesnt have to be in an catastrophic situation. How many of these types of people do you work on a daily basis?
written by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , December 08, 2012
Thank you for this article. I need all the help and advice I can get from someone informed and honest. God Bless.
written by Sgt Prepper , December 09, 2012
You obviously have missed the mark on preparing for a community retreat. Your slamming of vetting and "sweat equity" indicates a woefully unprepared leader. Vetting helps to reduce the possibility of allowing nut cases, racists, anti-government, anti-authority types, and folks with depression. I assume your ideal scenario would be one of open invitation with no restrictions. I disagree. It will be stressful enough worrying about the external bad guys to turn and worry about the internal bad guys. I own a couple companies and spend a great deal of effort to screen applicants because it is easier to ease them out up front that later. Vetting assures that the group will be self-sufficient.
You also alluded that it is wrong to ask for members to contribute. That is the problem today--we all feel we are "owed" something by others. We first want the government to care for us and now we want a sponsor to care for us. I think it makes perfect sense to ask people to put some sweat and equity into developing a community haven they will turn to when things head south. Do you have any idea how much it costs to put something like that together. There is enormous investment in getting a retreat prepared. Why would you not want to ask those that will benefit from it to contribute???? I think that was a naive suggestion on your part to demonize a retreat leader for asking people to contribute.
I assume your ideal situation is an egalitarian community, leaderless, and relying on consensus and harmony. Before starting my own retreat community, I did extensive research of kibutzes, monasteries, survival retreats, communes, etc to find out what works and what doesn't. People don't want a dictator or heavy-handed authoritarian--they want a fair and just leader who listens to the advice of their folks, solicits their input but ultimately makes day-to-day decisions. Look how crippled our country is now because we lack a strong leader and have a Congress that is paralyzed with indecision. I say that model hardly works.
A good leader involves the group in joint decisions and keeps them informed of progress and barriers. He/she needs to periodically take the lead and make decisions rather than go to the group for every little choice. This is not a hippy commune where we will all contribute equally and enjoy the fruits of our joint labors.
Having lead soldiers in combat as an NCO, I know there are times that it is 'mission first' and you don't have the luxury of soliciting consensus by turning to the troops and asking "Well gentlemen. We have been instructed by battalion to take that piece of real estate. Now, how many of you are prepared to lose life or limb in this venture that most likely will result in us vacating it shortly after we put forth all this risky activity?" Give me a break--sometimes a leader has to be assertive, strong and forward. The mission is first. He takes advice but is ultimately held responsible for the end product.
I lead a 45-member retreat (adults and children) and often take advice from folks and move our efforts in places I don't always agree but they feel strongly so I go along. I have an Assistant Ops leader and a Planning Council that meets online every other week. When we go live--we will have a Community Council. I start work each day about 4:30 and finish around 11 each night. No day goes by that I am not working on the plans and arrangements for this. I realize 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people--that is a reality. Is it frustrating--yes, but then again it is normal.
In a high-stress situation like SHTF, I venture the leader you are advocating will collapse under the pressures of feeding and protecting a small community. His weaknesses and indecisiveness will become liabilities to the group and they will turn to a strong self-assured leader to lead them out of the danger. You know nothing about stress and pressure of making the right decision until the lives of others are depending on your direction and assurance.
Read some more books and maybe you may become a better leader. Better yet--lead people whose lives depend on you and learn.
written by Walter , December 09, 2012
The article is like the personality Ennagrams,
What about the person that will tell the enemy about your camp and a few bucks?
What about the person that is supposed to do a job and
they do not, leaving you open for failure.
If you are in a difficult situation, and a person has land and food, you do owe that person. Now, it you have something
to trade it is important to put it on the table up front.
With all negotiations, it is best to do them up front, and then stick to the agreements. In time, when things
are settle, then new negotiations will be made.
Leading people whose lives depend upon you, is not the time to learn to be a leader.
Democracies end up going into corruption.
In different times and situations, people need different
personalities in leaders. Like companies that grow,
all groups will go through transition, accepting this
and using it to your advantage is the best.
written by Brandon Smith , December 09, 2012
I think you weren't paying attention when you read the article, if you even read it in full. And just to be clear, I have no way of confirming if what you boast about is true, so your background is irrelevant.
I did not "slam vetting". Go back and read again. What I do slam are control freaks who "vet" in order to ensure that no one in the survival group questions their ideas or leadership, no matter how inadequate.
It's interesting, because you assume (just like the Assumed Leader) that everyone needs to be vetted EXCEPT YOU. Anyone who endeavors to "lead" anyone else should expect that they will be put under the largest microscope. I believe you don't grasp this concept because you suffer from many of the character flaws I describe in the article.
Coming from a military background (supposedly), you also assume that a survival group should be run like a military community. This is foolhardy. Soldiers are not necessarily survivalists, and survivalists are not necessarily regimented soldiers. If you try to force regimentation and top down control, you will fail. I guarantee it.
You use a lot of strawman arguments in your post, which is very disingenuous. I never claim in the article that there should be "no leaders". In fact, I specifically call for leadership; correct leadership by people who are experienced in their field, who share leadership with other people in the group who are also experienced in their own fields. I also point out that the best leaders are those who ask for help from those they lead, which you claim to do (though again I have no way of knowing if you are full of bull).
You have a childish fantasy in your mind that you are going to be the supreme commander of your little fiefdom someday, and I'm here to tell you, it's not going to happen. All's well now, while your "group" is playing commando, but when real trouble comes and people are forced together, they will want to maintain autonomy and freedom regardless of the danger or your "magnificent" leadership.
You also claim that I argue against contribution. I did not. Working and contributing to any survival project is essential. However, I do question the motives behind those who attempt to charge people money just to be included in the process of a survival community. Frankly, it's a con-game, and a method of instilling subservience in the group. The Feudal Lord is essentially saying, on top of your labor and your life, you owe me a tax (tithe), because you "need me" way more than I need you. This is of course a lie. If you don't find anyone who is willing to pay you tribute just to be led by you, and if you can't keep people within your ranks because you are an ass and a tyrant, then you are a dead man. You need them more than they need you. The only attribute that you have that makes you special is your land, not your leadership skills, and land can be taken away from you anytime.
People don't need a supreme commander, and they certainly don't need anyone presuming that they need one. It's a sad underpinning of the survival world that there are guys out there who think the only way to organize is to establish themselves as General or King. Unless that person is exceptionally extraordinary, this method fails every time. Unfortunately, assumed leaders always see themselves in their minds as "extraordinary".
Perhaps today you have fantastic survival community in place "sergeant", and if so, I applaud you. But it seems to me that you have some severe character flaws of your own that are tomorrow going to disrupt and destroy that community. This is the great weakness of top down and centralized organization which you are too ignorant to fathom:
Any community which ultimately relies on the strength and decision making of a single man is also doomed by the frailty and stupidity of that single man. Decentralized community and leadership may not sound as fun to you because it would mean you don't get to play King or General, but its likelihood of success is far higher. Remember these words when you are in the midst of crisis and your singular leadership begins to falter because you thought you were far more of a man than you really are.
written by TwoHoot , December 09, 2012
Thanks for another great article. Its' greatness stem from the first two sentences of the second paragraph:
"Many preppers are aware of the dangers inherent in our progressively deteriorating nation. Unfortunately, some of them are completely unaware of the dangers inherent within themselves."
The six characteristics discussed later in the article exist in nearly everyone. In normal times, they are subdued and masked. It is impossible to predict just what will come to the surface and become dominant under extreme, sustained stress.
In my preparations for drastic change, I try to remember that I am not looking for a leader to follow nor am I looking for people to follow my lead.
I am looking for local people who have tools and skills I don't have and letting them know what tools and skills I have that they might need. The goal is co-operation and reciprocity rather than finding people to lead or follow.
Please don't take this as criticism of your article. It is very important. Consider this a suggestion about what to look for instead of what to avoid. Maybe you can expand on it.
Cordially,
TwoHoot
written by Brandon Smith , December 09, 2012
@TwoHoot
I agree. I recommend survivalists avoid the commune strategy at all costs. 9 times out of 10, it will end in disaster. It is far better to approach community building from the neighborhood angle, with preppers living in close knit but separate and sovereign plots of land who agree to mutually aid each other.
I would not trust anyone who insists on the commune living idea. If you do bring people together on a single piece of land, it had better be the closest friends and family you have, where blood is thicker than conflict, and then work with other landowners and preppers in your region in a professional but guarded manner. In this way, you avoid (for the most part) dealing with the personal catastrophes of others because you are not utterly dependent on them.
I also would not trust anyone who goes out of his way to desperately pursue a leadership role. The best leaders in history were those who never wanted leadership in the first place, and so, they had no desire to abuse the power they were handed.
written by Sergio , December 10, 2012
Hi Brandon,
Your thoughts on leadership are interesting, but a few things come up.
First, there is a time for authoritarian leadership. In a situation where time is short, danger abounds, or a set of precise actions are required, people need to be told what to do. The job of leaders in these situations is to make the call, and see that is carried out. Obvious examples include military officers, team captains, and emergency police/fire/EMT personnel.
You seem to be saying that outside of these situations, many leaders don't seem to know how to turn off their "command" function, and seek to control people. I can agree with that. Most of the time, people should be given the latitude to experiment, work things through, and use their own cognitive faculties and inspiration to guide them.
We should not, however, believe that this latter strategy will work under all circumstances. When it won't work, which definitely includes certain "grid-down" scenarios, people need to be prepared ahead of time to temporarily cede some of their autonomy of decision-making to a responsible leader. Of course, this leadership should be acknowledged ahead of time, along with guidelines for its use and a reasonable notion of what to expect in its operation. People should not be surprised by authoritarian leadership, but rather understand it's critical and invaluable function in their lives.
In reality, leadership is a ministry, and certain people have been gifted with this sort of ministry. One aspect of leadership is crisis management, and good leaders should know how to use their authority in a healthy manner.
It should be noted that leaders are often drawn to roles of leadership, which may be contrary to your point that leaders should not pursue leadership. The best leaders in history were the ones who knew that something needed to be done, and didn't see anyone else rising to lead, so they did. This type of behavior tends to be habitual in real leaders.
Thanks.
written by Brandon Smith , December 10, 2012
@Sergio
I disagree. There is never a time when authoritarian leadership is more valuable than people's ability to self lead. This is what we should be striving for, not placing all our determination (even for a moment) into the hands of a single man who may or may not be a closet psychopath.
The idea that people can't lead themselves is the most ancient form of propaganda. The reality is, people only turn to a leader when they are frightened, and, they are only frightened when they are unsure of themselves. So, our goal should be to educate people on how to be their own strength during difficult times. That is to say, people don't need authoritarians EVER, but what they do need are wise TEACHERS, which is nowhere near the same thing.
Therefore, the greatest "leaders" the world has ever known were in fact teachers, and nothing more.
written by Sergio , December 10, 2012
What about in military situations? I find your position to be untenable when confronted by extreme crisis.
I'm also curious, how do you feel about leadership as it relates to having a Lord and savior?
Teachers can be just as toxic as bad leaders, especially when they insult and belittle their fellowship, Brandon.
written by Brandon Smith , December 10, 2012
@Sergio
Even in military situations, modern warfare experts are now turning to fluid combat strategies which allow soldiers on the ground to make their own decisions as to target and execution. Some units are even being trained to set their own missions on the spur of the moment in order to make them more adaptable and quicker to take action without always having to run every detail through a central command before hand. Why do you think the military values sniper teams so much? Because they are independent, highly intelligent, able to take action without always having to ask permission, their rate of success is staggeringly high, and for the cost of a few rounds of ammo their affect on the enemy is devastating.
What this means is, even military planners around the world are beginning to see the value of decentralization rather than a top down oligarchy.
As far as leadership as it relates to religion, I'm not sure what that has to do with anything. There have been plenty of men throughout history who have claimed that they are "chosen" by God, and maybe some of them were, but most were definitely not as their behaviors proved. It's great to have spiritual teachers if you need that kind of guidance, but I certainly wouldn't make them some kind of theocratic overlord, no matter how wise they might be. Jesus never supported such an idea, in fact, he railed against it.
Also, teachers are generally chosen by the student (unless you go to public school), so if you decide a teacher is not teaching, but rather, misleading, or maybe just hurting your fragile feelings with the truth, then you are perfectly within your power to WALK AWAY from them. Easy. Bad leaders usually engineer environments which make it very difficult or impossible to walk away.
There is a massive difference between the two situations, and obviously, the teacher student scenario is far preferable to the Lord and Peasant or Commander and cannon fodder Soldier scenarios.
written by Sergio , December 10, 2012
Good points. We'll see.
written by SFMEDIC , December 11, 2012
Brandon,
Thank you for publishing this essay. It is both timely and thought-provoking and should be carefully read by any group who wishes to survive and avoid having to waste lead unnecessarily.
What you have outlined is the tip of the iceberg in choosing your team. I have encountered each of these characters over the last several years while organizing my group and the descriptions are spot-on. I won't mention names but some of the people who have taken offense to aspects of your article are people I have had contact with and decided I did not want them anywhere near me during any crisis.
One type you failed to mention are the pre-SHTF predators who I have already had dealings with. They think like this; "Hey guys I was watching this show called Doomsday Preppers on TV and they are stockpiling food, medicine and guns. Lets see if we can get in with them and steal everything they have."
Funny isn't it how people who are trying as hard as they can to appear normal, catch a fleeting glimpse of themselves through reading your article and get so steamed about being recognized for the dysfunctional personalities they are, they try to do a vivisection on your effort in passing on useful information to serious folks? I have a word of advice for the people who don't appreciate what you have said here. Its almost too late to be still trying to form or join a group, better move on to plan B if you have one. Oh and don't come to my AO or show up in my sights after SHTF.
written by greatlakesurvival , December 11, 2012
My initial reactions to this article resembled sergio's first post.
We all in fact have personality flaws. My fear, not only with being tied to someone with one of the previously mentioned personality flaws, is having let surface something like that in myself.
My favorite quote: The Obsessive’s motto is: “Let me tell you why you are wrong and how you are lazy!” Instead of: “How can I help you fix this?”
And that’s it. Among the blogosphere of preppers all too often we see EGO get in the way of good fruitful discussion. It’s a killer.
I can’t imagine how exponentially destructive that kind of failure will be to survival of small groups and communities that would otherwise “make it”.
Good food for thought, thanks.
written by SFMEDIC , December 11, 2012
"Why do you think the military values sniper teams so much? Because they are independent, highly intelligent, able to take action without always having to ask permission, their rate of success is staggeringly high, and for the cost of a few rounds of ammo their affect on the enemy is devastating. "
Had a Recon buddy in Falluhjah who who was so effective, the Iraqi Mayor went to the CO and complained about snipers dropping so many people. The CO's reply was;
"Well you know the ROEs ,we see you on the street with a gun and you are DRT (dead right there). By
the way, who told you there was more than one sniper?"
written by ElectricEye , December 12, 2012
Again, we are all human and as such, imperfect. Not everyone will agree with the analogies given or examples you provided, but again those are human traits, like it or not.
I was actually looking for a 'primer' of sorts on this very topic and I thank you for taking the time to write it, regardless of what criticisms others have...let them write their own, if they wish. This of course, is what everyone *should* do...write down the playbook they think they will use when TEOTWAWKI hits and see how well they quarterback then. Talk is cheap. I will gratefully use your words as my starting point on this topic, since you did a great job in raising awareness and making people (hopefully) think.
I agree that decentralized functions are smarter in that you do not create a SPOF or 'Single Point of Failure'. If you only have one person in your group that is good at growing things successfully, your odds of survival are reduced. This is the same as having only one defenses person, or doctor or mechanic. That's what communities bring- many varied levels of skills and contributions to one… or to all.
To know the future one only needs to study the past... let's all try to skip some of these ugly parts of history and see if we can and do it right this time, please? : )
written by msnrochny , December 12, 2012
I struggle to remember a time you ever gave someone with an alternative opinion to your own, a cordial response. In short, you seem to believe your opinion is the only right one, and you defend that by attacking others. You'd be the first guy I'd walk away from in a retreat situation, because you'd be busy telling everyone they're stupid, instead of building a community that supports each other.
I do agree with what you said about people needing to look at themselves, before looking at others. Try following your own advice on that one.
written by Brandon Smith , December 12, 2012
@msnrochny
Why are you so concerned with MY weaknesses, msnrochny? Like Sergeant Prepper, you are desperate to personalize the article and make this about you and I (when it is most definitely not)? Don't you think that's rather strange behavior on your part?
I am more than happy to give a "cordial" response to those who make a "cordial" argument (what was not cordial in my exchange with Sergio, for instance?), however, I have zero tolerance for blatant ignorance, stupidity, and one-upmanship designed to distract rather than inform, and I will indeed point out when someone is exhibiting such behavior as it is the duty of any aware person to do. With all the chest beating that goes on in survival circles, some know-it-alls need to be humbled once in a while.
What you don't seem to grasp is that they came HERE (as you did) to argue and criticize. I did not come to their house or their place of work and force them into a debate. If they want to come to my place of work and try to start a pissing contest, then I'm more than happy to oblige. However, don't be naive in thinking that I am required to be "nice" about it. If they are wrong (I have acknowledged plenty of times those who are right), they are going to know it by the time I'm done with them. Use some common sense, guy, and don't take the article so personally, it reveals an inferiority complex you might want to look into.
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written by Hey , October 15, 2013
A lot of people will react as the "The Ulterior Motive Drama Queen" if treated or talked about the way you draw them out to be seen in your description. But just because you see them react the way you predict, doesn't mean they have the motives that you attributed to those actions. And wanting emotional support or a friend through the "Apocalypse" is actually more necessary to some than your (respected) COMPLETE OBSESSION with survival skills. It's not causing trouble to be one's own person. People will start to look like the very characters you decide they are.
written by Hey , October 15, 2013
Actually that could apply to all of them.
written by laura m. , March 06, 2014
All these personalities listed are in our churches, civic clubs patriot, political and various groups. Domineering control freaks, know it alls, esp. which is why I don't join anything period. Even patriot org have their "experts" and will cut down anyone with anything to say they don't agree with. Find like minded people near you to barter with and everyone stays on their property with their family and interacts with like minded folks. Do not open the door to any strangers who may kill you on the spot. Stay low key and tell no one what yo have stashed away.
