It seems that for many preppers survival is the end game. Everything they work for, all their gear, all their food, all their water, all their weapons, and all their training are for the specific goal of surviving the collapse. What many of us have not considered is the very real fact that for many, survival will not be enough. At the end of the day being isolated in small groups and living for nothing more than to survive the next day will not be enough after a relatively short time. It is the human condition to want to expand and to thrive. I would like all of you to consider what comes after survival and how we as a whole can play a part in the reconstruction of our civilization.

There will be a day in the months or years after a collapse where for many people, the mere state of surviving will no longer be enough. As the process of growing food moves to the realm of surplus, it will become all but inevitable for groups to start working together to build larger communities and to pool resources together. Though the system of paper currency will be replaced with a barter system, a small but thriving economy will form and trading posts will pop up, giving survivors the opportunity to trade for things they need. Humanity will slowly crawl back from the ashes and a semblance of normalcy will emerge after what was likely several years of hell.

Unfortunately, this process of rebuilding will not be without its dangers. There will still be a criminal element out in the wastelands, especially nearer to larger cities who will see these new communities as tasty targets for raids. Supply lines and widely traveled roads will be a huge target and for these new communities to continue to remain independent and free will require a huge investment in security in both man power and in resources. These communities will have to set up a security force to not only make sure that supply lines remain free from raiders but to also make sure any large scale attack can be repulsed and destroyed. As much as it would be wonderful to say otherwise, violence will continue to be a fact of life for the foreseeable future.

It is a simple fact of human nature that we instinctively want to work to a larger purpose and find like minded individuals to connect with. Even though trade will cause groups of survivors to make contact and interact with each other, the constant risk of raiders and attack from outside elements will be the driving force for smaller communities to group together and form larger communities.  Alliances and trade agreements will usher in rapid growth, the rebirth of the city state and eventually, with time and a lot of effort, countries. The need for security and specialized labor will necessitate the formation of larger and larger groups of people to collaborate and merge.

In the days following a collapse, surviving will monopolize practically every part of our lives, yet a day will come when we will look outside our group for something more.  Even during the end of the world the human desire to create and thrive will instill a need in many people to gravitate to others in the attempt to build a more comfortable world. That is the human condition in a nut shell. We long for comfort, security and for things we don’t have and these desires will drive us to, yet again, form communities and governments to help us carry on. One thing that is guaranteed is the fact that as long as there are people on the planet they will strive to expand and diversify. This is true now and will be true if the SHTF.

Source:shtfjournal.com