Christopher Nyerges
[Nyerges is the author of “How to Survive Anywhere,”
“Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants,” “Extreme Simplicity,” and other books.
He teaches urban and outdoor survival skills. See the schedule at
www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.]
“Survival” is a broad term that ties us all together. In fact, in the broadest sense, just about
everything we do is about survival.
Well, maybe not today because we’ve grown so technologized and
specialized that we take everything for granted as we’ve forgotten our roots.
Think about it. The
rise from foraging to agriculture, and then farming, and food storage and
processing. That’s all about food, a
basic of survival. The development of
villages, towns, cities, was all about pooling our resources so we could all
work together for our mutual survival and upliftment. With towns, and many people packed together, you need some sort
of guidelines, thus, the development of government, and police, and fire
departments, and even the building and safety departments of most cities. The building industry with all its aspects
is all about our mutual survival. At
its very essence, the large hardware stores are all about our survival from the
little things to the big things, like fixing roof leaks.
So much has been developed over the last few hundred years
for our basic survival that we tend to forget that someone or someones had to
DO all those steps to make survival possible, and easy. We have traveled a long path down the road
from our grand parents who were still rural, and who knew how to live in the
woods, and who knew how to use a rifle and an outhouse and raise food. And the further we traveled down the
technology path, the less we seem to know how to do the most very basic tasks
that ensure personal survival and strength.
What does one do?
How should you go forward in this ever-more complex and ever-more
dangerous world. You begin by educating
yourself: Reading the books, and the magazines, and watching the Youtube
channels, that cater to this specific interest. And you should join like-minded groups of individuals who are
working to learn these lost arts and forgotten skills.
And yes, obtain the gear and supplies that you need, just in
case you can’t get to the store after an emergency.
Most important is to expand your perspective and raise your
awareness. I want you to read just a
few books and try to grasp the deep message that each contains. Consider their messages “survival tools” for
your future. I am only suggesting a few
books here, but each is a valuable tool in understanding the world we live in,
and understanding our future.
“The Twilight of American Culture” by Morris Berman is a thoughtful look at the decline of
western civilization, and what can be done about it, if anything.
“Language in Thought and Action” by S.I. Hayakawa is perhaps
the single best book about how the words we choose affects our reality, and how
we can improve our ability to think and communicate. And isn’t communication a major “survival tool”?
“True Believer” by Eric Hoffer is perhaps the quintessential
book on mass movements and cults, and teaches you “how to believe.” Though written decades ago, this provides
unique insight to today’s terrorist movements, and other forms of mob
mentality.
“Democracy is Self-Government” by H.W. Percival is a
must-read if you are to grasp what is wrong with modern politics. The author
shows that individual self-government is the only path to real democracy.
And last, “The Art of Loving” by Eric Fromme shares how love
is the answer to the problem of human existence, and he attempts to define the
many real and counterfeit forms of love.
Yes, have your knife, gear, and pantry of food, but don’t
stop there.
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