Yesterday's AIBU about the prepper's board showed that there's quite a range of reactions to the concept of prepping from fear and anxiety, to intolerance, ridicule and suspicion. Perhaps because the immediate assumption is of militant fantasists obsessed with a vision of complete societal breakdown or perhaps gullible/ anxious/ self-indulgent hoarders.
To me that is definitely a misconception, because there are many realistic, even immediate scenarios that could and do require planning and preparation. It doesn't worry me, but I do find it interesting and useful. It strikes me as generally the opinion of those lacking the imagination or experience to ever have to suffer without all the comforts and convenience of modern developed urban life. On the other hand I can understand that people with OCD or other anxious tendencies could find it triggering for uncontrollable extreme and intrusive thoughts of all the multiple risks we could face. It's much easier and reassuring to feel like everything will be taken care of by the state.
In RL my approach and interest is practical, and from work and studies in the humanitarian/ development sector there's a wealth of resources, research and vital work being done in 'prepping' from the grassroots level right up to the UN- assessing risks and vulnerabilities, planning, mobilising resources and building up skills and resilience, it's kind of the name of the game.
On the other hand I'm happy to admit I enjoy zombie and post-apocalyptic fiction, drama and even video games- I would say more for the hypothetical examination of how societies breakdown and rebuild, the strategies for survivalism in an extreme fictional context. (TWD requires a lot of containing of frustration as the characters never seem to apply the many skills they learn over the series. No digging ditches, always only one thin wall of defence, no zombie camouflage..)
Anyway sorry this is long I felt like it was an interesting area for discussion- kind of the spectrum of attitudes on crisis preparation or self-sufficiency. Also the impact that attitudes of denial or passivity could have in the event of a crisis- the ebola crisis, and in a more long term sense, climate change, strike me as threats in which a failure of leadership and widespread denial have had a dangerous exacerbating effect.