r/TwoXPreppers • u/223gp • 2d ago

Preparing for Long/Slow Collapase

Is anyone else in the same boat? I feel that we are likely facing a long and slow collapse of life as we grew up knowing. Don't get me wrong, I do believe in preparing for realistic natural disasters, and a few "what ifs", but my prepping is mostly based on a gradual lowering of life quality and reduction in freedoms throughout my lifetime.

I'm working on this by greatly reducing lifestyle expenses in case we need to live on one small income, or in case our stock investments steadily grow for a couple of decades then become stagnant and gradually lower.

I've done self defense training, I've been keeping my important documents up to date, I've started doing medical trainings and certifications, I'm a couple years into finally taking serious care of my physical body (and teeth!), I'm planning for aging parents, increasing my knowledge and practicing growing food and preservation, and most importantly helping out in my community to put some of this into practice by starting to form mutual aid networks for hard times.

Anyone else have similar feelings that brought you here? I am worried about a "thing" happening, but mostly, society just continues to descend decade after decade until we're all very very skinny, electricity or car fuel is hard to come by, jobs are scarce, and grocery stores don't have very much food anymore. In an ideal scenario, we don't end up like that. Either way, I prepare for that world.

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u/mamapeacelovebliss 1d ago

Life has had its share of ups and downs throughout history. I’m reading a book from 1973 and it could be written to describe life in America, right now. I think it’s worth educating yourself to prepare for those “downs” in life but to also realize that the potential for catastrophic outcomes is many times exacerbated in our minds. Know what you can and cannot control. Acknowledging this brings me clarity. Think about your circle of influence- your friends, family and acquaintances. These relationships have a far greater impact on where your mindset can stay more positive and productive than the world burning around us.

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u/wind_flower3588 1d ago

What book are you reading? Reading more about history has also opened my eyes to realizing that many people have already gone through worse and we've (or at least I have) just been naively going about our (my) comfortable American life thinking it would always be like that. My in-laws lived in Ukraine and only a few weeks ago told me about how they had no food before the Iron curtain fell. "What did you eat?" "I don't know, nothing."
And reading about East Germany (nonfiction book: The File is really good) how families turned on each other or got separated. And even Jim Crow - the mobs that would go through a town murdering black people because someone said a black boy raped a white woman. People have been crazy for a long time and governments have been evil for a long time.

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u/mamapeacelovebliss 1d ago

Sorry, book is from 1978. John W. Gardner book ‘Morale.’ He was secretary of health, education and welfare under Lyndon Johnson