I trust everyone equally. I trust that you will all do whatever you feel is in your best interest at any given moment. Otherwise you wouldn't do it. So, yeah, I trust everyone, but not in the sense that you meant it. That way, I trust no one.

 

Can't be everywhere at once ... have to trust somebody. I agree with the OP but I put them on levels. Level 1 are people who would die for me and I for them. Level 2 are people who won't screw you over when you're not looking and will do what they say. Level 3 are the folks who are a question mark, you have no idea what they will or will not do. Level 4 are known bad guys, they're totally untrustworthy. They'll steal, lie and sell you out.

Generally speaking, Levels 1 and 2 are already inside the camp when TSHTF. Level 3 people may receive some assistance but will have to prove themselves before being upgraded. Level 4 scum maintain a spot in the crosshairs of Level 1, 2 and 3 people.

 

The only one I know I can trust is my dog .

 

x2.

I got some guys I work with I would trust but I trust them with my life everyday. Would I give them full trust... not right away. Feelings can change when people are starving and you got the food.

 

I have a network of thousands of men that I can trust my life and family to.

 

Agreed.............

 

Me, myself, and I. Period.

 

i have been through this 'survival scare' and 'save the country militias' in the mid-70's and the early 90's. I have been a part of several groups. I have people i know all over the country. There are only 2-3 friends i would trust with my life,wife and what else i have. And they feel the same about me. Are we near together? No, but we all know where to go to and meet up. Each of us has a specialty and cross train in others. How many can say that? Might i suggest to concentrate on quality and not quantity. I expect to take heat on this but this is my opinion and how me and mine will survive.
Oh, by the way, of the 4 of us with all of our families, since 1974, number about 33 adults,12 teen above 15 and 5 children. All like minded.

n-o-o-n-e!

 

I was 7 or 8-years-old in the mid 70's. I had bigger things to worry about like 3rd grade.

 

I prefer a scale between 1 and 10 to measure trust. The most trustworthy is your supreme being, in my case God. The least is your wife's divorce attorney! LOL. Everyone else is in-between. But as far a humans on this earth, there are a small amount of people in the church I belong to that I trust with my car and house. Sadly, there are family members I wouldnt trust at all. People earn trust, and it can change.

 

What we're talking about here is building a community. tribe, clan, band or family of fellow human beings. It's a serious and complicated relationship, and like any such relationship, it takes constant effort. Trust, respect, radical honesty, and other qualities necessary for a community are not something you earn once and you're set, but must be worked at and earned every single day. The reason many marriages fail is because the couple stops putting in the effort to nurture and grow their relationship.

This isn't something that should start after TSHTF. If you have people in your life now, then you need to build and strengthen these relationships, and if you don't, seek out like-minded people and start.

If possible, gathering with these people once a week to have fun, share food and talk would be a great start. If necessary, stay connected every day online. Maybe start your own private list for discussions such as this. Make coordinated bug-out plans and what you should do if things go bad. Plan group camping vacations. It sounds silly, but even giving your group a name can help build a kind of social cohesion.

So instead of just getting together with friends on a Friday night, your having a meeting of the North Woods Survivors. Remember, there are reasons that biker gangs and soldiers watch each others' backs. It's not because they necessarily KNOW the other guy, but if they see that patch, those colors, or that uniform, it says: "We're on the same side." That's what you need to build within your group. Names and symbols can have meaning, and if I may quote one of my favorite movies: "Symbols are given power by people."

Prep together. Survive together.

 

One of my favorite topics.

As I've thought about this, it's occurred to me that how likely someone is to scr*w you over (sorry about the language, but that's what it's about) is related to how likely they can take the fruits of their behavior and apply them elsewhere.

In other words, if you have a group and someone's in it, can they take advantage of you and then go someplace else? Or displace you?

In a true SHTF scenario, with no hope of relief, I suspect most people will recognize the need for being in a stable group. Where are they going to run off to?

In a lesser SHTF scenario, that's where I think there's much greater chance for someone to take advantage. In my mind, it's somewhat analogous to looters taking things such as TVs and the like--it only makes sense if you believe there will again come a time when you can make use of it.

If someone in a MAG hit me in the head and took my food, where would they go? What would they do? Find another MAG? How easily they can do this seems to me to relate to how much "trust" you can have in them.


I think trouble is more likely to brew if there are personality conflicts than someone is simply going to follow their very short term self-interest and try to get away with something.


If there's enough food for the group--and I think all of us recognize that's the limiting factor--it seems to me most people aren't likely to strike out on their own looking for a better situation. There won't be any.

This also suggests to me that maintaining group harmony is absolutely necessary. We can never let people get to the point where they feel they have no alternative other than theft or violence to resolve their problems.


Finally, it seems to me that the likelihood of such "taking advantage" depends on the swiftness of the SHTF scenario. A long, slow decline--what many feel is happening now--increases the likelihood someone can see a temporary advantage in scr*wing us over, because there still are places they can go.


Just a little thinking out loud here. I'd love to hear other's take on this.

 

I actually envy you. Trust is huge; especially in a long-term scenario. I've had people that I thought were friends prove otherwise the minute I gave them access to something of mine (my car, money, other possessions). Unless you spend a lot of time with someone and have the "opportunity" to see them under stressful situations that require trust, you just don't know.

 

Family is the only 100% trustworthy people. Anyone else has to be judged on an individual basis.

 

That does work for some people. My dad owes me $5,000 and my brother owes me $3000. I guess thay can steal your stuff if you turn your back. Go figure. :xeye:

 

I don't shave since I don't even trust the guy holding the razor! ::thumb:

 

I trust different people, at different levels.

 

Most of my family is aware the world is a changing place, and somewhat may see the writing on the wall. But they do not prep, they refuse to believe collapse can happen. I trust any of my immediate family with my life, but they will not and are not prepared for what I feel is coming. They may or may not wake up in time to act.

The wife is on board, and we have a pair of friends, the 4 of us make up are own little MAG, we would do anything for one another. We train together and know the places we would meet, depending on what kinda SHTF event it is. Any one of the 4 would give their life for another in our little group.

 

"trust everyone, just don't trust the devil inside them" - italian job

 

I hope Goose3 is right and people will recognize the need for stable groups and things are probably not better anywhere else. There are relatives I would probably have to let in that I don't trust. I hope they realize how good they have it if they show up here and finally act accordingly.

 

There are relatives I would probably have to let in that I don't trust. I hope they realize how good they have it if they show up here and finally act accordingly.

If my dad showed up, it would be a bad scene. But chances are he knows exactly how I feel, and wouldnt dare. So I rely on Karma to even the odds!

 

Good point. I've really just started going beyond prepping on my own and attempting to network with others. Over the last several months I've been in touch with a number of folks. Either they are just not as serious as they claim when they post they'd like to meet and work with others, or in a few cases, I found them to just be people I don't want to be around.

Finally have a meeting scheduled soon, and including myself, there will just be three of us.

 

I would have to say, that beyond my immediate family, there is only a handful of people I would say I trust.

Beyond those already accounted for I would be wary of giving my trust to anyone, it would have to be earned.

 

I hate to say it but the truth is that sometimes I can't even trust myself to do the right thing.

 

I have to disagree with you. I think you will always do what you think is the right thing for you to do, even if it turns out to be a wrong thing. You will also do what you perceive to be the right thing for you even if you know that everyone else would consider it to be wrong.

Malinowski said, "...the sole function of thought is to satisfy certain needs of the organism, and that truth consists in such thinking as satisfies these interests." That holds true whether the action engendered by the thought is self-destructive or not. Internally, everything you do is right, at the moment you do it. Even if you know it is socially wrong to do it, such as say, stealing, if you do it you will either have decided you can get away with it, or you will have decided to not care if you get away with it. Otherwise, you simply would not do it. You may later wonder "What was I thinking?", but not at the moment.

So you will always do the right thing according to the thoughts that led you to do it, even if after that moment, you reconsider and decide that it was not right. Even if your judgment is flawed and your logic borrowed from an amoeba, the train of thought that leads to behavior will always be internally right.

 

My god is Crom, and he lives in the earth. In all of this world, you cannot trust anyone, not gods, not men, not women, not beasts...

*Holds up an AR-15*

But this...THIS, you can trust.



If you cannot survive with a sense of humor, what is the point of surviving at all?

- Omega Man

 

President Regan said it best - Trust but verify. Unless you are going to be a hermit you will have to work with and by extension trust others to some degree. This is were the verify comes in. Extend a bit of rope with the opportunity to do multiple things with it. Watch how people treat people in the service industries - how do they talk with and act with waitress, clerks and others. In my opinion this tells a lot about character which can then be used to determine the level of trust and my confidence in that assessment.

 

The truth as I know it

I've been deployed twice to Iraq. Both times with all different people. What I found out, is this: When at the mobilization site you start making friends. You think these will be your best friends all through the deployment. But before the deployment is over, you may distrust your so called friends and not even be on speaking terms with them. On the other hand, the people you didn't think you would like at the begining of the deployment become your best friends for life.

My point is, until you've lived with them for a year you have no clue about your compatability with them. I know from experience.

My tribe is my mom's side of the family. I've been around them all my life. They have always been there for me, and I will be there for them. We've killed a many of a deer together and eat many of a meal together. I also trust my dog.

 

I've been deployed twice to Iraq. Both times with all different people. What I found out, is this: When at the mobilization site you start making friends. You think these will be your best friends all through the deployment. But before the deployment is over, you may distrust your so called friends and not even be on speaking terms with them. On the other hand, the people you didn't think you would like at the begining of the deployment become your best friends for life.

Very interesting--I've found that the more I like someone on first introductions, the less likely I'll form a lasting, strong friendship with them.

 

I trust me and the wife.
Everyone else i.e. relatives, friends, and especially the government have all shown that in a time of crisis you can only rely on yourself.

 

Never trust anyone who doesn't love you.

 

It takes more than just people that love you.

People that love you are subject to have you "involuntarily" committed, for your own good, because of your obvious mental disorder. You know the one, the obsessive/compulsive hoarding, paranoia, end of the world delusions and the fact that being heavily armed, you might harm yourself...or others.

After all...no sane person would do all that survivalism stuff...

 

God and your Dog.