Someone’s actions are predicated on their worldview, among other factors. While I have alluded to some of this elsewhere in the blog, it would be helpful to share some of my worldview in hopes you can understand where I am coming from when I share some of my more out-there perspectives. The following are some fundamental pieces that I currently think are true which inform my actions:
- Our current and recent historical prosperity is based on use of finite energy sources. These energy sources are dwindling. I do not feel the need to back this claim up, a simple google search will reveal that. Additionally, these energy sources carry with them negative effects on the environment, which is home to us all. Expect energy use per capita to decline.
- The solution to problem #1 is not in more efficient energy creation, nuclear energy, fission, or any other such generation. I too used to believe in a star-trek like future when I was younger. This is no longer what I hold. I hold that the solution to problem #1 is a decrease in energy consumption via local community resilience, personal resilience, and efficient creation of resources at the individual level.
- Politics is a giant, uncontrolled machine which no human has any functional level of control over. Nobody has any control over the political landscape or any other major institution. These institutions can be relied upon to make functionally random choices at best. Realistically, the inertia of large organizations will cause most though not all of these institutions to be an active detriment.
- Quality of life is based on fundamentals so simple that it can be obtained without use of much energy. Practice the use of less, not more resources in your life in order to make yourself more prepared.
- This will not be one large event. It will be a slow decline, almost invisible to those not looking for it. This can currently be seen in rising grocery prices. People scream it is the fault of a politician, of a greedy company. It is not, it is simply the decline of our greed. There will be no political fix. Only individual level fixes.
- Those who prosper in the new environments will have a variety of skills, backup plans for their main plans, and multiple ways to provide a good quality of life for their family. The better ones will have ways to do this not reliant on the market at all. Over-specialization will be the downfall of a lot of individuals and families as it builds in no redundancies.
- We aren’t going to have a lot of people die due to this. Just quality of life decreases for those who are not prepared (in wealthy countries). Some starvation is likely in not-wealthy countries, but this will be blamed on other things. Those who are prepared will be just fine.
Everything else is framed on these basics.