One recurring theme at Smart Suburban Survival is the importance of personal responsibility and taking greater ownership of your life. There will be times when you will be your own first responder or otherwise be caught up in an unpredictable situation. Relying on others during an emergency, especially on incompetent and corrupt governments, is outsourcing your safety and placing your life at risk.

To many, that sounds harsh and alarmist. Despite the stagnant economic growth of the last six years, most people in the First World have plenty of food, technology, and entertainment to satisfy their needs. The need to prepare for the unexpected is not on the minds of most people, life goes on much as it has since the end of World War Two. Prosperity is considered a given, the fruits of modern society endless.

Yet most forget how difficult it is to create and sustain the material wealth that First World citizens take for granted. The historic levels of health, wealth, and freedom people enjoy today were created by those who lived through much more difficult times. Indeed, the good times we enjoy today came about due to the hard work and sacrifice of our predecessors. But can the standard of living, indeed the civilization that made it all possible, withstand the fiscal and social changes that are beginning to impact modern society?

Jazz Shaw over at Hot Air wrote a post that touches upon self-reliance and resilience, or rather the lack thereof these days. Give the entire article a look but consider the money quote:

I’m left to wonder precisely where this carnival ride ends. We are breeding a generation which is increasingly less self-reliant, while ushering in conditions which seem doomed to a disastrous collapse. And what skills will the modern generation draw upon if they are thrust back into a life where the government can do little or nothing to save them? None of the luxurious riches and privileges we enjoy today are guaranteed to infinity and beyond. Empires rise and they fall. Sometimes – with luck, hard work and perseverance – they rise again. But the people who rebuild from such ruins will need the stamina and grit of those who survived the dust bowl, not a knack for rebooting after a bad session of video gaming.

Develop the stamina and grit now because it may come in handy real soon.