Could you handle living in a rougher, tougher society?

[fuckingcoldshowers]

Thinking about this as it's freezing where I am, and thanking my lucky stars we can stick the heating on.

I would be 100% shit in a tougher world. Anything from the grinding hardship of WW2 to dystopias like The Walking Dead. I'd be so shit I mean, actually I wouldn't survive in the first place but if the universe was having a laugh and I did make it past the initial event, I'd be rubbish. I mean, obviously it would be very scary and devastating, but the sheer MISERY of it all would sap my motivation to survive, I reckon.

I can't think straight when I'm really hungry. Also, hanger would lead to some sort of stupid spat with the wrong person.

I'm also terrible without decent sleep. After enough sleep deprivation I'd give up.

Finally - even if fed and sleeping I cannot deal with no nice, clean shower or bathing facilities. I'd be SO CRANKY feeling grubby and dishevelled all the time, traipsing around trying to survive.

Could you adapt well and cope cheerfully without these basics after the apocalypse?

Id say i have a lot of resilience, I've survived a lot. But I'm sick and my body would literally seize up and stop working. My apocalypse plan is to get my DC to their Dad/my Ex then bunker down somewhere and wait to die, hopefully not by being eaten alive. .
My EX.is an arsehole but he loves his kids and I'm sure he'd do whatever necessary to keep them alive and unlike me who can barley walk and can't carry any weight at all he's physically able and can fight.

So the reason you will all give for getting laser eye surgery is zombie apocalypse - I guess it’s as good a reason as any…

You're lucky I can barely afford to use heating at all since COL it's 12c in my place and Im using heated throws.

You being unreasonable as there are people in the UK living like this today who cannot afford things.

We should think ourselves we are lucky we are not in a war place like ukraine and we at least safe

I'd be fine 👀

I don't think I have the will to survive either. DH would though, so I guess he'd probably drag me along.

It's surprising what you can do if you had to. I'd probably be ok but the thing that would be most difficult would be the violence. If resources are scarce people fight. As society breaks down it's a question of take what you can - aggression and fighting would be distressing and anyway I'm bad at that.

There'd be some relief in the rule of survival though. Anyone who said "I can't be on fishing duty because my anxiety is through the roof" or "You can't make me weed the vegetable patch because it's bullying" Would soon find out that if you didn't do it you wouldn't eat.

I hope we don't lose all the comfort, civilization and prosperity we have now though. I like it!

Nobody enjoys surviving in these situations. Just look at some of the social media posts coming out of Gaza right now. It’s hell. But what’s the alternative? People hope for a better future, if not for themselves then for their children or other younger family members, and so they push through. Nobody living in a tougher situation is born more hardy or less wanting of basics and comforts, it’s just down to luck that they don’t have it. If you were in a situation like the ones billions of people living in the developing world and war zones are in currently you would survive as best you can because you’d have to, just like the many people living through awful times in Gaza and Ukraine and Yemen and Somalia and Afghanistan and Malawi etc.

Nobody likes being hungry or sleep deprived but you’re no better or different to the many real, ordinary people for whom that is life and just because you are fortunate enough to never have been in that situation doesn’t mean you would react any differently to them. To think that’s the case almost makes out that the kinds of people who find themselves in war zones or famine etc are somehow extraordinary or unusual or superhuman when the reality is they are just ordinary people and they are suffering just as much as you would be, don’t imagine it’s any easier for them right now than it would be for you, it others people and suggests that it’s okay for some groups of people to be in that situation because they’re more suited to it. No human is suited to the conditions in many areas of the world right now, you’re no more precious than any of the people in those awful situations and I think it’s distasteful to suggest that somehow you are.

I doubt I'd be bothered to survive the event itself. All the running and hiding and jumping over ravines carrying an orphan, while a random man I had frissons of chemistry with barked orders at me and made me steer his truck while he shot people...I'd have no interest in it tbh.

LOL. Tinder profile? 😉

I have thought if apocalypse/alien invasion/zombies happen I will very much regret not getting lazer eye surgery. I can barley see without my glasses. Having said that I know someone who got lazer eye surgery at 26 and her short-sightedness is coming back 20 years later so it's not necessarily a permanent solution.

I grew up in an unusual rural home that was not really fit for human habitation (by late 20th century standards), I also had to do physical work to contribute to the running of this place. As an adult I run my own business and do lots of solo hillwalking. I don’t have survivalist skills but I think I’d be ok, I wouldn’t shrivel up and die at the first sign of discomfort. My husband is tough as old boots and would be fine.

Another one here who'd serious struggle without her glasses.

That said I am quite fat, but also tall. And I have a ridiculously slow metabolism thanks to an underactive thyroid. At least I wouldn't starve to death immediately.

I do also have a herniated disc in my spine (waiting for operation) so I'd struggle with anything physical, or at least I'd be in pain.

All in all I might survive - I have some basic survival skills - but I'd be miserable.

I think you'd surprise yourself if it came to it

I wonder how people survived the 1970s without central heating. That's traumatising enough

It scares me if I think how much more vulnerable women and children are in any breakdown of law and order. So much male aggression let loose.

I watched a documentary years ago called ‘Tudor Farm’ with Ruth Goodman. And she washed etc like a Tudor would and said linen against the skin soaked up the sweat.
In the Walking dead, I would find a supermarket and eat and eat crisps and sweets.
I’m far too lazy for farm work so would have starved in medieval world.

Yes, this this! I bet I'd find myself taking the fucking minutes of the apocalypse

We were poor poor years ago, couldn’t afford heating for weeks bar electric heater which we’d move to the kids’ room (aunt and mum used to help with the electricity bill but we’d try not to use too much), hungry a bit (not all the time) so kids had food, no luxuries. We managed and tried to keep happy, and I don’t think the kids noticed, but the phrase ‘weighs on your heart’ comes to mind. It was difficult to be properly happy but we still had good times

@mdinbc

My ancestors emigrated from the UK to Canada in the 19C and travelled by Wagon Train from the East Coast to the Rockies.

One of their direct descendants wrote up a verbal history of their journey which has now passed down through the family.

Their greatest hardships appear to have been the absence of food, fear at night on the Prairie (animals and natives), the constant struggle for water and the loss of two of their daughters to fever.

I often think of them when felling cold, hungry or thirsty. They were made of tough stuff !!

About half way through my first pregnancy it dawned on me that I’d have to try and survive an apocalypse now… I’d still be terrible at it, but I’d have to at least try for my children.

I suppose it depends on the situation to some extent. If a mysterious disease took most people out, I’d be ok at growing food etc. (unless the other survivors took me out first). If zombies or carnivorous aliens were the issue, I’d just be a goner.

This is my hobby. Part of our lifestyle is really back to basics, living off grid stuff. Thing is I have a lot of useful knowledge for living a more primitive life but I’m middle aged and without my meds I’m screwed. I’ve tried to instill in my kids the idea that life may not always be as comfy. It hasn’t worked - so far - anyway.

Nobody likes being hungry or sleep deprived but you’re no better or different to the many real, ordinary people for whom that is life and just because you are fortunate enough to never have been in that situation doesn’t mean you would react any differently to them. To think that’s the case almost makes out that the kinds of people who find themselves in war zones or famine etc are somehow extraordinary or unusual or superhuman when the reality is they are just ordinary people and they are suffering just as much as you would be, don’t imagine it’s any easier for them right now than it would be for you, it others people and suggests that it’s okay for some groups of people to be in that situation because they’re more suited to it. No human is suited to the conditions in many areas of the world right now, you’re no more precious than any of the people in those awful situations and I think it’s distasteful to suggest that somehow you are.

🙄

How pious of you @MolkosTeenageAngst

No, I don't think I'm different or speshul. In fact I did say expressly I'd most likely not survive the initial event. I'd just be one of the background corpses in The Walking Dead.

I am not for one moment suggesting it is okay for any human to face starvation or death or misery in warzones. Your mental gymnastics are quite amusing, though.

I watched ‘children of men’ again recently and had a sudden panic that I need to get apocalypse rich so I can buy into the nice part of the end of the world! I have yet to come up with a plan to get apocalypse rich though

I've got 4 medical conditions which I can live with but would kill me if I didn't get regular treatment. Count me out.

It's years since I've thought about that film....... but wow the intensity.....when he see her on the bus / train and then ........