Mightier than thou

[Scythe13]

I frequently hear about people having a Holier than thou, attitude. It's pretty damn useless.

However, the same is true with many people in prepping. On so many forums and the alike, people talk about how they're the best shot in the world, and they can shoot the wings off a gnat from 1km away, and crap like that.

The same is true at the gym. I've had big guys come training for BJJ and get their buts whipped! They think that what they know is the best. I can laugh because when I first went to a BJJ session, I was being used as a test dummy. When we had a Gracie come to teach, guess who was asked to show the difference between skill and strength...? I was getting my butt whipped left right and centre! My instructor was about 12 stone, and he still managed to tie me up and tap me out. I was truly humbled when he tapped me out in 6 seconds. Even though I was messing about, that's an embarrassing speed to be tapped at! I was humbled beyond belief. I am NEVER going to underestimate a person again.

When I first went to a full MMA class, and got involved in stand-up fighting, I wanted to up my defence, so I told the guy I was sparing with to go all out on me. I had a headache for a week afterwards. I should have learned who I was up against first hu? Bad move. But again, I was put in my place.

One thing I think many people can learn from. Being a little more grounded in experience, and not opinion.

For example. I recently spoke to SD and he said about how he recognised he needed to work on certain skills and that he knew the principles, but saw that the practical application is never as easy as it looks.

Of all of the things we need to recognise, our own shortcomings is probably one of the most important. Okay, let's have a quick game on this. Pop-Quiz:

1. Have you made a fire using a bow drill?
2. Have you bled car breaks and refilled the lines?
3. Have you welded?
4. Have you ran 10km?
5. Have you shot accurately under stress?
6. Have you survived a winter in the wilderness without any gear?

If you answer no to any of these questions, then you cannot say that you can do them. If you can run 9km, then maybe you can say you can run 10km, but that's the only one that you can stand to disagree with.

I remember one of the members on this forum (a lovely older lady) whom used to camp out on her own front lawn, to test her tents out, and had a disliking for flint and steel. She said she could never get them to work for her, and just kept throwing them over the neighbour's fence. She recognised they were not a tool for her, and although she would persist until frustration, she still recognised it wasn't the right tool for her. Hats off to that woman. But there will be others whom have steel and flint in their pack, but don't know how to use them properly, or have never used them to make a fire. When it comes to it, and it's a do or die moment, you don't want to be caught unskilled.

I know a guy who packs loads of gear. Much of it he freely admits he doesn't know how to use. Is he an idiot? Not at all! He plans to have the equipment for when someone comes along that knows how to use the gear, then recruit them. For example, a welder. I don't think he can weld, but some of his neighbours probably can weld, so WTSHTF, he can pop to his neighbour and get a good set of door supports, road barriers, or anything else made, so that his situation is better. If you can support other people, and allow their expertise to benefit your group, then you'd be an idiot NOT to have their gear with you.

He recognised his weaknesses.

BP, and I've spoken to him about this many times, and he admits it, forgets that not everyone lives in a rural situation. It's a natural thing to focus on your situation and thus respond to people from your own situation. But we're not all facing fields and woodland. Which is why BP tries to realign his responses for those looking more towards city escape.

As preppers, we need to recognise our genuine strengths and weaknesses. There are two weaknesses I want to highlight, and they apply equally to me as to everyone else.

Firstly.
If you do not have experience in a skill, use of a weapon, or something similar (let's say skiing or snowboarding for example), then that is a weakness that needs to be recognised.

Secondly.
If you think you can turn a weakness into a strength, I hate to tell you this, but that's a weakness too. - Jack Handy, Comedian.

Please note, that last comment was a joke.

Thank you and enjoy the deliciousness of humble pie. I eat mine daily, when my wife is a better shot than me :'(