Natural disasters happen. Floods, tsunamis, and earthquakes occur every day across the globe. In an increasingly global society the fascination with the worldwide extermination of the human race is growing. Hollywood movies, trends in electronic games, and the headlines do more to reinforce the idea that Homo sapiens is headed for a bottleneck event.
Suddenly, it is fashionable to entertain the possibility that the Earth doesn’t like us. The Internet is full of disaster preparedness kits; bug out bags, and articles on which survival knife is best are everywhere. This conversation is worth having, but it is indicative of the limitations of many people’s confidence in a survival situation. Simply put, the survival mindset is not being discussed, in favor of what knife is best, because modern people think the things they own or can buy will save them in a survival situation, rather than their intellect.
In a survival situation, you probably will not have the magic item that will save you, despite how prepared you are. This is something every survivor must realize. It won’t be a situation where you pop open your trunk and establish civilization again. Supplies run out, food and water are consumed, and winter is always on the way. Instead of reaching for a survival kit, let’s consider the basic mental tools that have been used by humans through the span of the centuries.