Turtle or Tiger?

Here's a little something for thought:
A number of years ago, I read a science fiction novel called Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin. It concerned a group of people who lived permanently in space, but sent their young people down to survive on a planet for a few weeks as their ‘rite of passage’ into adulthood. There were two philosophies espoused by those about to undergo this trial: Going ‘turtle’, meaning to hole up, stay as low key as possible, and ride it out. The other was ’Tiger’, meaning to go around, see things, meet people and generally take a few more chances.

Which brings us to today’s topic. Which is your philosophy?
You can turtle up in almost any kind of crisis, from a snowstorm knocking your power out for a day or two all the way up to the good old end of the world scenario. Being a turtle has its advantages. If you withdraw, you can conserve resources, minimize risk to yourself, and let others take chances that might benefit you in the long run. Your exposure to almost every kind of risk is minimized

The downside is that you won’t see other turtles rushing to the aid of one that is attacked. Turtles just don’t have that much of a support network.

Being a tiger can also be advantageous. If you’re out in the world helping your community, you will make friends that will come to your aid, make contacts to barter skills and materials, and be far more aware of the overall situation than the turtle next door, which can be of decisive importance.

You’ll be taking far more risks, however. Giving a little help, in the form of food, water or labour can arouse bad feelings or make you the target of the envious or merely larcenous. It shouldn’t, but people in a crisis are not rational beings. Any kind of exposure in a crisis can be bad, although not always.

Or you might decide on a third strategy, perhaps a blend of the two, or an entirely different approach altogether. (Though at the moment I can’t think of one…)
It might seem trivial, but knowing how you plan to conduct yourself in a variety of crises has a bearing not only on what you acquire, but how you plan to employ it. So do me a favour: On your bus ride home tonight, give some thought to which approach better suits you, and plan accordingly.

Original posted at Manitoba Preppers Network on April 16/2010