The success and productiveness of any survival group depends on how well the members can work together. As many preppers are getting their survival group together, there is a question looming in some of their minds. That important question is: Will we be capable of getting along and coming together cohesively as a group?
In a recent post from the survival blog [1], the writer states that “the biggest problem [will be] the lack of emotional maturity and the ability of the team members to live in isolation away from modern, familiar creature comforts and to just plain get along.”
In the preferred group setting, there would be a mix of individuals who share the same interests, ideas, and approach handling anomalies similarly. Some prepper groups are composed of family members, and some are composed of groups of friends. Whether the group members are composed of family or friends, there will be times when the members will not always share the same points of view, and there is the possibility of personality conflicts. Whatever the conflict, it is still a group in a survival situation. So what can you do?
A Binding Code
Is it possible for a group of individuals to mesh together and for the sake of survival, get along? Can they forget their previous ways of handling problems to make it work? The answer is that it all depends on the personalities of the group members. A group should have a balanced set of personalities. These personalities, when combined together, should make the group a strong and unified force. For a group to be successful, the group should have a set of principles that each member should possess. For example, consider the following values:
- Respect – Respect is something that is earned, and not given. In a way, each individual has to prove themselves to the other members in order to have value or status within the group as well as respect.
- Honesty – Nothing unravels a group faster than dishonesty. In order for a group to be successful, the members must be honest with one another in order for the group environment to thrive. If there are pre-existing problems, then members need to work out their differences before they are thrown together. It is recommended that the group members meet and focus on finding practical solutions to problems without bringing in emotion. This could bring a group closer together.
- Trust –It is vital that each prepper group be founded in trust. These members are entrusting their lives to the other members, and if no trust exists, then the group will fail to thrive.
- Loyalty –Each prepper is vital to the group, and group members should have a strong sense of loyalty to each member. A group’s loyalty to one another provides the members with an unspoken bond that adheres their overall purpose, e.g. survival.
How the Modern Day Survival Group Can Overcome Their Problems
If a group is having meetings to talk about their supplies and fine tuning their skills, then they can also find time to create the cohesive bond they need by discussing any underlying issues, establishing boundaries, participating in trust and team building exercises, and practicing problem solving skills.
Team Building Exercises
Successful businesses pride themselves on team building exercises to bond the co-workers together. Finding exercises that are “survival oriented [2]“ can mentally take each member to where they would be in a SHTF disaster situation. These types of exercises will give inside perspective on prepper’s communication skills and decision making abilities.
Learning to Fight Fair
Each prepper group needs to establish their own rules for handling disagreements. Whether a group is egalitarian and each member has a voice, or whether there is one person who makes the decisions, establishing fighting rules needs to be discussed and decided upon within the group before the disaster event takes place. Members can discuss boundaries that should not be crossed during a disagreement,for example, group members should refrain from one person making others believe that their feelings are more valuable than the others, members should refrain from letting their anger get to a place where the decision making process of the group is jeopardized, members should refrain from absolute thinking (thinking in black and white terms).
Ability to Compromise
In all actuality, there will be disagreements within groups, especially when a group of people are living in close quarters with one another. Group members cannot be rigid in their thinking, and there are many stubborn people who will have to learn not to dig their heels in. A group’s ability to come to a compromise about certain situations will keep the group working together. If each prepper can put aside their personal beliefs for the greater good of the group, then it is possible to focus on what is most important: survival.
Be Consistent
There are some types of people who do not like to “make waves.” They are typically empathetic and try to understand all points of view. Although this is not a bad trait to have, they have a tendency to send mixed messages to the group. Sending out these mixed messages can interfere with the group’s progress. Members of the group should be as consistent as possible.
Getting Along For the Greater Good
In the grand scheme of things, the actual disaster event itself will bind a group together. Typically, they will be concentrating their efforts on survival, rather than getting into petty disagreements. That being said, a group’s survival depends on how well they can come together – for each other in a time when it matters the most. During a SHTF event, stress levels will be running on overdrive. If the group has not worked out their differences beforehand, the chances of them cohesively coming together when it counts is greatly diminished.
Related Articles:
10 Things That Make a Survival Homestead [3]