Are Preppers Non-Conformists?

What is the norm though? Society talks about norms yet I don't think I know what is a norm (non mathematical one).

I don't feel we can define any norm within the community as we are all so diverse with the ways in which we prepare. I guess the norm is what society as a whole says we should be doing or thinking!

HAHA Nighthawk....."Prepping, Be In It"

I believe that society has become non-conformist. - western society that is. The basics of a healthy society is a strong family unit. When the family unit breaks down, society follows and society suffers. Today it's not the norm to have marriages that last 'unto death do us part'. It's not the norm for the parent to be the teacher. Parents as part of their responsibility, should be the teacher - not in the ABC 123 way, but about life in general and teachers role is to add to the child's education by good teaching, not politicised subjects, ie gay marriage, climate change, euthanasia etc. It's up to parents to teach right from wrong. Children need to be held responsible for their own actions. And the school system should never override the parents authority on particular subjects., i.e., 'I don't want my 8 year old learning how to use condoms by practising on a cucumber; or the school insisting that a pornagraphic book is 'required reading' for a 12 year old or for a teacher to to hand out political leaflets for a particular political party'.

'Progressive' or 'modern' society/education/politics misses the point every time. And that point is experience. You cannot disregard generations or even 100s of years of experience. It cannot be bought or modernised or substituted. Society today is strewn with broken marriages, broken children, alcoholic and drug addicted CHILDREN, not even in their teens. We have become so consumerised that our youth line up for days to get the latest gadget only to repeat the same pilgrim the following year. It has become their god! We have sanitised our children by not allowing them to feel the grass under their feet, dirt on their faces and be allowed to even skin their knees. They are not allowed to climb trees, make a cubby house themselves or play a game of soccer where one side actually gets to win. Bullying is epidemic and indulging children with every whim is considered the norm. We sexualise our little girls by allowing them to emulate 'role models' like Miley Cyrus and encourage them to live out OUR dreams in child pageants.

I believe SOCIETY as a whole may think we are non-conformist but look at society. It certainly isn't healthy. Individuals in general have become dependant upon others to provide what they should be providing for themselves, but until they themselves have an epiphany, the norm will remain quid pro quo between the individual and the establishment. The 'Prepper' movement is just getting reacquainted with experience. It sees that being reliant on fragile systems is both dangerous and foolish to their wellbeing. There is a sense of relief; a sense of being masters of your own destiny to provide for yourself and your loved ones and to take back responsibility for the most basic things in life which are food, water and shelter. If society sees this as being non-confirmist, well it just goes to show how sick society is.

Matilda, you made so many different points and could not find one I disagreed with. In an earlier incarnation, I worked with youth in state run residential programs. The main issues were mainly caused by the points you raised.

So true shinester, sadly the pendulum has swung in totally the wrong side. Somewhere there has to be a happy medium.

To quote something I heard recently which I thought was awesome:

The only person God has had to work with since he made Adam, was Jesus.
He works with what he has, so we must learn to do the same, as non of us are perfect.

Absolutely.

I try to do what I see as right, no matter how many people oppose my views. Obviously there are some people whose opinion I value enough to make me reconsider, but I abhor peer pressure.

Definitely non conformist here. I do not conform to the idea that gubmit is everything, I do not conform to the idea that I can sit back and do nothing and if something does happen the gubmit will come and save me, hint: it don't, look at hurricane Katrina, people left on their own for over three days.

I believe in self reliance, self helping, self sufficiency (of course within reason, using the capitalist system to get what I need). thus I am a non conformist to the extreme, I am an extreme non conformist. I rely on the Lord first, me second, my wife third, my friends forth, and gubmit only when all other options disappear.

Absolutely, I do my best to follow truth and honesty and make rational choices with reason. So yep, I'm completely non-conformist