Do you dream of being off-grid and self-sufficient? What if that dream is a myth or even a distraction from what is necessary? That's what today's episode is about.
An essay that every homesteader must read is "I, Pencil" by Leonard E. Read. https://fee.org/resources/i-pencil/
You'll discover what it takes to create anything larger than one person. Supply chains around the world make the simple pencil possible.
Even in the ancient world, there was no such thing as self-sufficiency. It is a desire brought on by uncertainty about the future. Communities survived, not individuals.
You can create your own weapons, tools, and shelter with raw materials. Yet most off-grid tools are very limited. The long-term development of settlements was the only path to healthy living.
Self-sufficiency is a false belief that you can do everything for long-term survival. When the truth is that self-sufficiency is a starting point. Without community, you face isolation and danger.
Even then, to become self-sufficient, you need others. You cannot possibly know everything necessary for long-term prosperity. Our own independence is highly dependent on the actions of our neighbors.
I have interviewed almost a hundred individuals who survived a SHTF situation. They escaped terror and bloodshed with horrific memories.
In conversation, I noted lessons and experiences. Many of these individuals were elderly. Families didn't want to hear these cautionary tales, yet I was intrigued.
I learned from refugees of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, escaping Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, and the Rwandan genocide. Civil war, political unrest, and regime change will come.
While there is a strong survival bias, none credited self-sufficiency to their survival. Survival skills, fast decision-making, and endurance were necessary but not the primary factor in their escape.
Success was knowing the right people, the ability to acquire resources, and landing in a resilient community. Complete independence ..
