Are you a lifelong learner?
“Wisdom has been chasing you, but you have always been faster.” -Uncle Iroh
Recently, I’ve taken up the hobby of collecting classics of philosophy and theology, and it’s turned this blog on its head a little bit. And the reason for this new found hobby is that I began to notice a lot of deficits in myself, that traditional preparedness practices couldn’t accommodate.
Lifelong learning is important (necessary even), especially in a world where literacy is declining and morality is decaying. It is the tool that helps you structure your mind and develop yourself. It is how you find holes in your own armor.
Speaking of holes in armor, Modern Survival Arkansas was created on a notion that survivalism needed to change from the depression era “hoarding” and “self sufficiency” process.
Continuous study helped me to realize that buying up large amounts of stuff didn’t prepare you for the practical needs of emergency situations.
It also showed me that the large scale disasters that people often expect are not world ending, reality bending, society altering events. The collapse of a nations economy does not result in the kinds of “outrageous violence” that one might expect. Earthquakes are not often inclined to split continents. Zombies simply aren’t real. And nuclear war isn’t something worth surviving, simply to live and die alone.
These fictions were shattered by a long look at history, science, psychology, and philosophy. Theology itself plays a critical role in survival, because understanding the moral limits that make living a noble and worthwhile thing will define how you prepare yourself for dangerous events.
And the most important piece of the preparedness puzzle that I learned, is that the most dangerous things are everyday accidents. Small actions that lead to big consequences. Taking the protective shield off your angle grinder. Operating a chainsaw near a hidden power line. Trying to unclog your garbage disposal. Riding your lawn mower at the wrong angle.
I’ve seen these events change countless lives in an instant, and yet we spend all our time hoarding food for a disaster we might never live to see. I’ve seen people bypass saving for their older years to purchase things they may never get to use, and will certainly never be able to sell.
Studying the world helped me see the truth. Small steps save lives. Realistic plans protect. Understanding myself and my limits makes me strong.
Where I started helped move me closer to where I’m going, but only because I continued moving forward. Had I remained still and stagnant, I’d be sitting on a comfortable stockpile of end of the world grade food preps.
I’d probably also die of ignorance if I crashed my car in the woods.
Ignorance was never an option.
Modern Survival Arkansas 