Feeling safer in a dangerous world.

[Tarrel]

I like the "10% better" idea. It's a reachable goal for many people that could have a disproportionally positive effect on chances of survival.

However, the central issue in the original post is the enemy that is hidden. My advice would be to get yourself with a community that you can get to know and work with. Like being 10% better than average, this takes time and effort. People are unpredictable, and you can never guarantee how people are going to behave in an emergency situation, but the more you know people, the better able you will be to assess risk.

The more people in a local community know each other, the more an unknown person will stand out and be recognisable. It then becomes their job to work for the trust of the community so they too become one of the "knowns".

[bigpaul]

but why bother being with people you don't trust? I really don't see the point of that, makes a bad situation even worse if you have to sleep with one eye open. much better to get as far as you can away from such people and be on your own, I would rather survive, or not, on my own actions than have to rely for my very survival on people I cannot trust.

[Tarrel]

You may not have a choice. It's a small country.

---

There are also benefits to be gained from being in the right community; both practical and psychological.

[bigpaul]

(1 June 2013, 11:35)Tarrel Wrote: You may not have a choice. It's a small country.

but I DO have a choice, it depends on where you are, I am nowhere near a big city or even a large town.

---

I do NOT trust people.

[River Song]

I tend to be a bit different from some others. I do so much want to trust people but sadly, as the good book says, "The heart of man is deceitfully wicked" and I reckon that is doubly so when someone and their family are starving.

We have to do our best in a charitable way with some form of food box/emergency box but I'm afraid to say, that in a WROL situation, when someone tries to smash your door down to steal, maim or worse then there is only one choice. You have to kill them. If you don't, they will kill you. If you maim them and they escape, they will bring others back.

Sounds drastic but thats it.

[bigpaul]

(1 June 2013, 20:32)River Song Wrote: that in a WROL situation, when someone tries to smash your door down to steal, maim or worse then there is only one choice. You have to kill them. If you don't, they will kill you. If you maim them and they escape, they will bring others back.

Sounds drastic but thats it.

that's exactly it, kill or be killed. I believe many people will not want to live in those circumstances and will not survive, hopefully that phase of lawlessness wont last long.

[Scythe13]

(2 June 2013, 10:39)bigpaul Wrote: hopefully that phase of lawlessness wont last long.

It'll last as long as it takes for the police to be reinstated.

[River Song]

(2 June 2013, 22:59)Scythe13 Wrote: It'll last as long as it takes for the police to be reinstated.

..... and then they will come looking for bodies. Bury them deep or burn them.

[bigpaul]

(2 June 2013, 22:59)Scythe13 Wrote:

(2 June 2013, 10:39)bigpaul Wrote: hopefully that phase of lawlessness wont last long.

It'll last as long as it takes for the police to be reinstated.

you mean AFTER they ran away and hid like they did in the riots? don't make me laugh!

[Scythe13]

(3 June 2013, 09:58)bigpaul Wrote:

(2 June 2013, 22:59)Scythe13 Wrote:

(2 June 2013, 10:39)bigpaul Wrote: hopefully that phase of lawlessness wont last long.

It'll last as long as it takes for the police to be reinstated.

you mean AFTER they ran away and hid like they did in the riots? don't make me laugh!

Lawlessness will continue until someone instigates a rule of law, probably controlled via either a police system, dictatorship, or military rule (half dictator, heavily armoured police).

Yes they ran away in the riots, but they regrouped and eventually the riots stopped. I get what you're saying BP, but it seems you are against lawlessness, but also harbour a negative view of the policing system that currently hold that lawlessness at bay. Note, the riots were 3 years ago.