What Do You Do if the SHTF?

I read survivalist Selco Begovic’s new book The Dark Secrets of SHTF Survival: The Brutal Truth About Violence, Death, & Mayhem You Must Know to Survive and it was quite fascinating. Though he teaches survival techniques, the main purpose of the book is to take the reader into the mindset and psychological complexities that come when you are living in a destroyed society. What happens and how do people respond?

From the book description:

This is not a guide that will tell you step-by-step HOW to survive. This is a reality check that will tell you that everything you have expected and planned for is probably wrong. Selco is a household name in prepping and survival circles. He survived the Balkan War in a city with no power, no running water, and no supplies. For a year, he and his family fought every single day for bare subsistence. Over the years since the war, Selco has written nearly a quarter of a million words of memories, articles, and advice. This book is a collection of his darkest moments. The first thing you must do when disaster strikes is to adapt quickly to the “new rules” that apply when the SHTF. And to do that, you need to know what it’s like so you won’t be shocked…frozen…paralyzed by the atrocities taking place right in front of you.This book is Selco’s version of tough love. There’s nothing watered down about it. It is a collection of stories, memories, and articles he has documented over the past decade. He has revisited those horrible days to give us the reality check we must have. It’s a glimpse into the day-to-day events of the SHTF. It is smelly. It is dirty. It’s dark and brutal. It’s REAL. It is all the stuff that Selco rarely talks about because the memories are so ugly.

After reading the book, I was struck by how good most of us have it in the U.S. and just don’t realize it. Sadly, I do think that given human nature, it is only a matter of time before our society could break down, especially along political divides. It may not be to the point of the Balkan War, but there could come a time when we would do well to know some survival skills.

How prepared are most people, even those who think they know what to do in such cases? Selco reminds us that what we think may happen is not what will happen and one must stay flexible, both in mindset and in preparation.

What would you do if the SHTF? Do you have any preparedness goals or plans or do you just hope for the best?