Over the last couple of decades, the world has seen an unprecedented spike in technology and access to learning. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen a growing number of people who have used this technology to tune out, and lose their ability to be self-reliant.
Skills that were once part of our culture, ones that helped us survive, have been largely forgotten; replaced by a generation of dependent people that can’t even balance a checkbook, cook a meal, or change a flat tire. Although we have more access to information than ever, the skills of our forefathers have been replaced by useless knowledge like how fast you can text a message, or knowing what reality TV star is doing what.
The skills that have been used by past generations to build new worlds, care for their families, and make a living, have been replaced with useless knowledge, self-gratification, and a dependency on the government for just about everything.
I’m all for using technology to better yourself – without it this site wouldn’t exist – but people need to get back to the basics, and learn the skills they need to survive. If not, we are in real danger of losing our ability to be self-reliant.
Here is out list of forgotten skills that everyone should know:
Cooking Skills: The ability to cook a meal from scratch.
Learning how to cook from scratch, with basic ingredients that don’t get poured out of a can, is one of the most important self-reliant skills you can have. If you’re serious about preparedness, especially if you’re in the process of getting started with emergency food storage, learning how to cook from scratch is something you cannot afford to ignore
Resources for learning how to cook:
- Top tips for those who want to learn to cook from scratch
- Cooking with Basic Ingredients: War Time Recipes
- 56 Long-Term Survival Foods and Essential Supplies
- Emergency Cooking Methods: Cooking with a Thermos
Top books for learning how to cook:
Healthcare Skills: The ability to care for yourself and your family without a doctor.
These days’ people seem to go to the doctor for every little thing that’s wrong. A stuffed up nose; head to the doctor. Stubbed your toe; trip to the emergency room. Have a headache; time for some high power painkillers.
Unfortunately, our society has become dependent on doctors, high-power medications, and trips to the local pharmacy. But a couple of generations ago, most people knew how to take care of themselves; they knew how to get better without rushing out to the doctor or pumping themselves full of drugs that often create more side effects than the actual condition.
Medical skills that everyone should know:
- How to Survive Pandemics, Disease Outbreaks, and Disasters
- Preparing for Health Emergencies when you already have health problems
- How to deal with Food Allergies & Anaphylaxis
- First-Aid Skills for Treating Medical Emergencies during a Disaster
- 30 Things you should have in your Medical First Aid Kits
Medical books everyone should read:
- Where There Is No Doctor
- Where There Is No Dentist
- Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide
- Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health: 175 Teas, Tonics, Oils, Salves, Tinctures, and Other Natural Remedies for the Entire Family
Mental Skills: The ability to control your emotions.
I’m sorry to say it, but we’ve become a nation of wimps.
Over 70 million Americans are now taking at least one mind-altering medication to control their emotions. While some of these problems are indeed very serious, something that I’m not trying to make light of, I believe most of them come from a culture of dependency, and a society that likes to take the easy way out.
Resources for becoming mentally strong, without pharmaceutical drugs.
- Psychology of Survival – How Your Mind Affects Your Ability to Survive
- Anxiety: Surviving Traumatic Events starts with Developing the Right Mindset
- Preparedness & Fear: Prepping without giving into Fear
- PTSD: How to Recover From Disasters and Traumatic Events
Books that can help build mental strength, and help with fear and anxiety:
- Hope and Help for Your Nerves
- How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
- Herbs for Stress & Anxiety: How to Make and Use Herbal Remedies to Strengthen the Nervous System
Preparedness Skills: The ability to respond to tough times, disasters and crisis.
Prepping is nothing new; unfortunately, today’s society sees it as some sort of sideshow attraction, performed by tin-foil hat wearing, Doomsday Preppers who are waiting in their bunker for the end of the world to come. Although the mainstream media has helped feed that stereotype, nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, a couple of generations ago it wasn’t called prepping; it was just a way of life.
Past generations understood the need to prepare; the need to save; the need to be ready for the rough times.
Preparedness Resources: Preparing for disasters, crisis, and threats.
- Talking to Friends & Family about Preparedness: How to get them to start prepping for disasters
- Get Home Plans: What to do if Disaster Strikes when you’re away from Home
- Building the Perfect Bug Out Bag
- Preparedness for Children: How to Make sure your kids are ready to face Disasters
- Preparing your College-age children for Disasters
Preparedness Related Books: Pretty much everything you need to know about Prepping
- The Ultimate Situational Survival Guide: Self-Reliance Strategies for a Dangerous World
- Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
- The Encyclopedia of Country Living: The Original Manual of Living Off the Land & Doing It Yourself
jam up article……
why isn’t there a print tab for this article?
Exactly! If we ever NEED this information, we surely won’t be able to pull it up on our iPad! Lol
That’s why you print it out…
You people do realize you don’t end a print tab to print right? You also realize the site has a nice paper book out with all this information and more right?
You also might want to check out their articles on mobile solar power so you can save all the info to you ipad. geez people sure do like to complain.
Kinda elitist, Jim. Their questions are exactly why they are HERE and seeking help. Hope others treat you better….
Self-reliance, Dear! Use the copy/paste feature!! :-)
Right on, Sara! Copy and paste always works for me!!
> Pen
> Paper
> Solved.
Maybe go to the top of your browser, click on file and come down to PRINT?
Place your screen on the photocopy machine at Kinko’s and print it.
Bugger, no kinkos where I live; my life is ruined.
Must die without a print of this information.
What I did was to highlight what I wanted, then copy & pasted onto a Compose letter of my email, emailed it to myself then went to print. I’ve got a number of these articles I found extremely useful.
cooking on a wood stove is handy to know assuming you have a wood stove. Black smithing in handy we have a complete set up for that. Knowing wild plants is nice to know for food. knowing how to use a large chain saw is handy for fire wood. Knowing how to clean and dress a deer is nice for food. Tanning pelts, using a tredel sewing machine and how to spin on a spinning wheel are handy to know Just good old boy know how
What a good article. see how they did it before electricity.
I AM OVERWHELMED FOR MANY REASONS. BEEN FOLLOWING ALL THE GOINGS ON BUT STARTING TO CLOSE IN NOW BECOME VERY REAL; I.E. FINANCIAL SHIT. I PURCHASED A 5 WHEEL FOR OFF GRID. I CAN’T BE OUT THERE ALONE. CAN YOU RECOMMEND OFF GRID SITES/ COMMUNITIES?? ALSO FOR ALL THE SLEEPERS HERE AND ELSEWHERE, PLANET X IS REAL AND IT IS COMING TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I LOOKING FOR THE IDEAL PLACE HIGHER GROUND NOT DEDUCTION TYPE NOR ABDUCTION I BELIEVE THE NOMANCLATURE, RISING AND FALLING. I KNOW W. OF ROCKIES, APPALACHIANS, RETIRED NAVY IN OZARKS BUT MUCH OF THAT IS IN HOSTILE/ WEATHER ENVIRONMENTS.
THE NEED FOR RUNNING/FRESH/DRINKABLE WATER, ENERGY;I.E. HYDRO, AND SELF SUFFICIENT FOOD GROWTH.
TOO OVERWHELMING. I AM GETTING DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS TRAUMA. ASHVILLE, N.C. HAS SUCH A COMMUNITY BUT IT IS TAILORED FOR THE HIGH BROW WHO CAN PAY THEIR $%^&*(FEES.I AM LOOKING FOR REAL HONEST HEALTHY PEOPLE AND ENVIRONEMENT. NO #$&*(NEW AGE SHIT PIE IN SKY WASHINGTON STATE; I.E. SEATTLE ROBOTS. THERE AIN’T GOING TO BE NO INTERNET FOR THE PUSSY’S. SORRY IF I SEEM GRUGG HERE JUST MADE AS HELL AND NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY LONGER KINDA SWEET LOVING ITALIAN !!!RINALDO.
From Oklahoma. .. share the same feelings
Check out Eastern WA, OR, and CA states, lots of good ol boys there and hideaways. Not all the West Coast is “left”, only the high fallutin big city area folk!
Check out Eastern OR, WA, and CA. Lots of good ol’ boys out there. Not all the West Coast is “left”, only the big city area high fallutin folks!
Come to the American ReDoubt, we are full of like minded folks and lots of retired well trained military and law enforcement.
I hang my hat In North Idaho, and teach Survival and Emergency Preparedness Classes every week.
Strong hold for OATH KEEPERS and God fearing folks.
Just saying,
RangerRick
Another book that is needed: The Bible! When you have done all that you can possibly do to prepare, and have warned your loved ones and friends, know that you have stood in the gap and have been found faithful.
Amen
I agree…I’m hoping that “I’ll Fly Away” first, but in the meantime, we are preparing ourselves.
This is such great information. Being prepared is such a subjective concept. It tickles me that there are people who shun the notion. They just don’t realize how important these things are. How many lost lives in a flood because no one bothered to teach them to swim. Not only is it fun, it is an essential skill for survival/preparedness. Every school in America should have a swimming pool. Talk about water prep. Did anyone see the movie “Rawanda” or was it called “Hotel Rawanda” my memory doesn’t serve me. Getting old I guess. During the genocide between Hutu and Tutsi in Africa about a decade or so back in time, the people survived in the Hotel under the protection of a very brave man. The Pool was used as drinking, cooking water during the emergency. If I ever have the opportunity to build my own home, it will have a huge cellar for food and wine and homemade cheeses. It will have hidden rooms. It will have plenty of storage space. It will have a bathroom for every bedroom plus one near the entrance. And it will have an outdoor pool and another pool next to the master bedroom with a lock on the door that only those most intimate of contacts will have any idea that it is there. I promise you. I’m going to take a dip every morning. It worked for Jack LaLane, fitness guru. And it work’s for lots of rich folks. It can work for preppers with a plan, time, determination, and a wholesome imagination. Einstein said that imagination is more important than intelligence. He had both. I have one but I’m not sure about the other. Many very successful entrepreneurs have claimed that there success was due to the fact that they didn’t know that what they were doing was considered impossible. So sometimes it really is better NOT to know.
Work for the third largest 911municipality in the country my fellow co workers and I see first hand how broken the system and society is the things people will do when desperation sets in