Have you left yourself open to the 7 deadly sins of survival? Do you have what it takes to conquer your inner demons and come out on top? You’re stocked up and prepared for any sort of crisis.
Your house is full of canned goods and ammunition. You’ve got backup plans and you’re ready to bug out at the first sign of trouble. But, are you aware of the 7 sins of survival and how to overcome them? Learn it here!
Avoid These 7 Deadly Sins of Survival!
Survival Sin #1: Sloth
Being lazy is the easiest way to fail in a survival situation. Don’t wait until disaster strikes to get prepared. The more work you do ahead of time will save you from having to make the tough decisions down the line.
Test out your gear ahead of time to make sure you’re comfortable using it. Don’t just buy a bugout bag and forget about it. Routinely check it to make sure your supplies are still good and upgrade it every chance you get.
Having an arsenal of guns and ammo will do you little good if you’re not used to firing and cleaning them.
Being a sloth doesn’t just matter before a crisis; once SHTF, you’re going to want to stay busy. Focus on being proactive instead of reactive. Set traps and hunt for food before you run out.
Have a secondary shelter ready in case you have to leave in a hurry. Don’t be a sloth; there’s always more to do!
Survival Sin #2: Gluttony
The opposite of sloth, you’ve done everything you can to be prepared, but too much stuff will slow you down.
Having an arsenal of guns is great, but what do you do when you are forced to leave your house? Instead of spending money on gear you’ll never use, concentrate on having the right amount and practice hauling it around.
Once you get in the habit of carrying it around, you will quickly figure out what you need and what is superficial. Learn to live sparsely, and you will feel right at home when SHTF.
Survival Sin #3: Envy
As desperation sets in, you’re going to find it tough not to turn on each other. Running low on supplies will cause a panic that will fracture your group if you’re not careful.
Don’t make the mistake of letting your base instincts take over. It’s easy to think of survival as every man for himself, but in reality, the best way to survive is to work together.
Instead of taking what you want by force, communicate to make sure everyone in your group is looking out for each other. This is the only way to survive. Work together, not against each other.
Survival Sin #4: Wrath
Know when to let things go. If you run into another group that acts threatening or is competing with you for resources, don’t let your emotions get in the way.
It’s always better to play it smart, even if you have been wronged. You can justify revenge, but will eventually place you in danger.
Survival is about controlling your emotions. You’re going to need to be cold and calculating when it comes to staying alive. Anger and rage can come in handy, but will not help you if you lose control.
Survival Sin #5: Pride
Just like wrath, this is another emotion that will get you into trouble. Having too much pride can make you think you have all the answers, but the truth is, no one knows what the future will bring.
Constantly learning new knowledge and training is the only way to fully prepare for whatever will happen. When it comes to dealing with hostile adversaries, pride is the last thing you want to feel. It can keep you defending a shelter that’s doomed to be lost or falling into a trap you should have seen coming.
No matter how much better you think you are than your enemies, never underestimate them. They are just as desperate as you are to stay alive. Don’t just conquer your enemies, but also learn from their mistakes.
Survival Sin #6 and #7: Lust and Greed
The two of these are pretty much the same and are synonymous with excess. Hoarding is a natural impulse when faced with deprivation. Stocking up on food and ammo is your top priority, but how far are you willing to go?
When faced with death, the human mind will start to rationalize all sorts of bad decisions. Should you kill everyone you run into, just to take their supplies? Or screw over your own group to keep all the loot?
Don’t let greed turn you into a monster. It’s better to have more allies with shared goals than to be on your own. Be happy with what you got. Survival is about learning to reach an equilibrium with life, and being alive is as good as it gets.
Check out this video by Canadian Prepper about the people to avoid when SHTF:
Don’t be a victim of these seven deadly sins. Prepping also means you must also have the right balance in dealing with certain situations. Beware of the things that will place you in danger instead of what helps you with your original goal. You can let human weakness decide your fate, or you can master your emotions and do whatever it takes to survive.
Do you have what it takes? Let us know in the comments section which deadly sin you think is the hardest to avoid!
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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on September 14, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
Good stuff, but I only read 6 not 7…..????…..
They threw in Lust and greed together.
Join the discussion
Also too many what ifs.
Uh oh….I’m in trouble.
You list 6 DSs.. What is #7? Fear/indecision/timidity? Of failure; of making wrong decision; of hurting someone else (who may be planning/trying to hurt you); “what if s…” unknown future; etc..
You left out Lust and Despair.
I think greed/lust will be the final nails in the coffin. I believe they are the control factors of the other deadly sins…Good article!
Great article but annoyingt messenger flag interupted the pleasure I got from absorbing the info. Even tried going to messenger and liking the page, still didn’t get rid of it. Really, don’t you think your site is well known enough. Please, all of us who know you don’t need superficial reinforcement of how good we think we are, why do you.? ANNOYED