Mental Hardening

[teamnelson]

Mental Hardening, Battle Mind, Mental Resiliency ... these are all subjects I teach to servicemembers preparing to go to combat, and we reinforce the concepts during combat, and then reconnect with them afterwards to keep folks mentally in the game.

But it occurred to me from browsing across all the survival oriented sites and forums that there are a lot of folks that could use some help with it as well. Do you ever feel frustrated that the stuff hasn't hit the fan yet? Do you ever think that the survival life might in some ways be less stressful than the life you have now? Has "preparedness" become therapeutic, or does it actually stress you out, wondering and worrying if you've stockpiled enough, thought of everything, made the right choices? Do you ever feel despair at the direction you see the world going?

I say all this in part just to say thank you to all you folks here. This is group therapy for me; it helps me process my thoughts in a healthy manner, and reminds me that there are great folks out there, I'm not alone, and if it does come down to it, I may actually like who's left around 

[Lurker]

I met Mel Tappan in 1976, and started into the preparedness mind set. I'm very glad that the world hasn't gone sideways yet, however, I feel it closer than ever with the Obamanation in office.

I enjoy preparedness, and it may just be therapeutic for me. Because of my preparedness mind set, I feel a lot more secure.

Bill

[Cornbelt]

Sometimes it takes a change like a lay-off to realize a better degree of mental resilience. Puts me in a new mindset and is sort of refreshing to find out what else I can do with all those little simples.

[Victor3]

 While I believe reasonable preparedness is prudent, I've observed what's happened to some who've taken it (IMO) to extremes.

 I've never personally known a man who made survivalism a defining point of his life who didn't also discard (or have to begin with) some measure of empathy. There always seems to be that "I'm gonna blow the bastards away if they come near my stuff" mentality at the forefront.

 I'd like to avoid that particular kind of mental hardening...

[teamnelson]

Amen, Victor!

[SHOOTALL]

I look at it more like living as my grand parents did . We can get along with out stuff but will use things like elec. if its there. Tools are good , knowing how to use them is better . I think what you mean is no matter what you face you adjust what you have to do to keep going . Also you have considered the posiblity of it happening and already made a plan incase it did . It could be as simple as facing a cold rain or involves as a huricane.

[myronman3]

in a way it is theraputic but honestly i am worried sick with the way i see the world headed.   grandpa predicted that another depression would come, dwarfing what he had seen because, in his words, IT WOULD BE WORLDWIDE.   the old man has been gone quite a few years now but the more i see the more i realize he knew what he was talking about.   being a father and having to worry about more than just myself, it does stress me a bit.    i have to remind myself that there is no alternative to just keep'n on.   all i can do is worry about how i live my life, and try to help as many people as i can in a given day.  God can sort the rest of it out. 

[hillbill]

mental hardening can come down to simple things really if yu desire to survive.can i put in a garden with nothing but a shovel and a rake and sweat?can i do without cable tv, supermarkets, police protection etc.can i bop that cute lil bunny on the head and make supper from him?why do you think it was so hard to conquer the american indian?why did the pioneers persevere?mental hardening. of course they didnt look at it that way, it was just life to them.

[teamnelson]

hillbill, thats kinda what us older servicemembers think when we talk about mental hardening with the new generation coming in ... this is just common sense. But lets face it, part of the crisis we anticipate is directly tied to how soft we've become as a people. So we have to teach now what our forebears used to take for granted.

[mechanic]

The first years of my life were spent in a house with no indoor plumbing, and only the bare light bulbs hanging from a wire for light.  Heat was a wood heater.  We ate what we raised or caught or killed.  So I don't worry so much for myself. 

For my kids and grandkids, I worry a lot.  They have never known privation, or want, and have never faced situations where a decision could be life or death.  I've never wanted them to, but in the coming world, they just might have to.  All I can do is try and prepare them mentally to know they can deal with any situation if they face it and don't give up.

Mental hardness comes from having dealt with things that test and try us, good steel gets tempered, poor steel fails.  So is the way of nature and man.

[gypsyman]

I pray. I ask God for guidance and wisdom in the things I do. To give me strenght and knowledge. I do get stressed out thou. Wondering if I've done enough to provide for my family. Especially for, what I believe to be some pretty tough times ahead. gypsyman