I still remember that year when I decided to read a lot of dystopic sci-fi. It wasn't the best choice for reads since we were still in the harsh years of the pandemic. Being also a fan of the Fallout Series and having played other games with this ideas of post-apocalyptic societies, here are my takes on the skills one should have to survive in these landscapes.
Let's begin by displaying all the suspensions of disbeliefs needed for such a thing to arise. To be clear, I don't think our humanity could have any chance at creating such a thing as a society after an apocalypse. It doesn't matter how you see it, we're deeply screwed if such a thing happen. Even if people have lots of money, many conditions will arise and since we live in a world of commodities, we'll end up extinct. It even doesn't matter if you can provide by yourself and know things about agriculture.
If the event has to do with a plague by virus or bacteria or nuclear holocaust, it doesn't matter. Those things will catch up with you and be the end of your life.
So, let's say it's more of an anarchy situation and that's how I see a society existing after some sort of world purge.
I'll break down the skills intro groups because I could mention just 3 things separated.
- Survival:
This includes being able to scavenge for food and resources anywhere you can find them. In such a situation having a steady place will get too much attention and you'll end up having to submit yourself to a chieftain or warlord to keep your head on your shoulders. You might even become a slave.
In this kit, we add the first aid knowledge to patch yourself up whenever you go for your scavenger's hunts. So you've gotta have steady hands for sewing and using blades plus syringes.
- Combat:
It will include anything from firearms to melee weapons. It is the knowledge to understand that you only take an arm out of its holster if you're going to shoot. Besides, shooting means you have to check out you hit the mark and finish it.
Unfinished business will get you far more trouble down the line that if your troubles become part of the landscape.
This part includes exercising to keep your agility and practising with close range weapons in case you need to use them.
And of course, having the time to keep your arms in good shape. Guns need cleaning and fixing. Blades need to be sharp. There are other weapons that doesn't need too much care, but their durability might be at risk if you use them too much.
- Common Sense
This is the top skill for a post-apocalyptic society. Never get in situations that could overwhelm you. Also, don't play hero. That only works in videogames and comic books. You're not living in any of them.
Blend in with crowds. Always make sure no one is following you. Don't light fires at night. The list goes on. Ensure you have everything you need and don't make camp in the same place for too long.
I'd like to add some other things that could play in a different role for the society.
If you have skills for building such as being a carpenter, smith or else, your hands might help you get a better position at settlements. Getting to work in a community to make it safer, might even prove to be a better choice than trying to survive by your own. We are very frail as individuals. Having the support of other people could in turn help watch more sunrises.
Skills with weapons might be useful to hunt if there's still any game left for that. This also extends to fishing, but it would depend on the conditions of rivers and seas by the time something happens that resets the game to the stone age.
Maybe if the conditions are right, get to know how to grow vegetables as they are a more reliable source of food. But giving the fact that society going back to primal state might give us a ton of violence to face, make sure you're doing the work needed for survival and don't get in trouble.
Remember what they say in the Fallout games:
"War. War never changes."
The same is true for humanity. If power is for grabs, you will be surprised by the things people can do. Especially when their actions turn violent.
- Photos 📷: taken by me (Redmi Note 13)
- Editing 🎬: by me, made with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
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