Survival UK

Fear Uncertainty Doubt

Most of us are confident in our abilities and feel that we are in a much better position than 99% of the population. We also feel we are doing what we can and although we don’t feel we have done all we want to we do feel that we are working towards our goal and no matter what when the time comes we will be in a good position. I say feel so much because you just can’t know most times.

However, no matter how confident you are there comes a time for everyone where we are hit by Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD). Usually in conjunction with a statement from someone we compare what they have done with what we have done and wonder if we have done enough. Have you underestimated the requirements that much? You though that area was clear and you had catered for it but someone else has a different interpretation and you are now considering the possibility you have misunderstood the requirements.

I don’t know about you but it happens to me on a regular basis. I am always looking for other peoples opinions on prepping. Especially wildly varying ones. I then consider their views and their thoughts on that including their solutions. Usually, but not always I usually find that I don’t feel that I need to do any more. I can acknowledge the data but having considered it I don’t see any reason for change. I have sometimes changed my views on things either because I accept the facts as presented and need to do something or I am uncertain and accept that I have to do something as a risk reduction exercise.

I may get a jolt when the FUD hits but I get over it and review the facts dispassionately making changes and just plodding on. I have seen others, particularly those starting who can quickly become demoralised by this because they think it is too much for them to do and this stalls them or causes them to rush out in a knee jerk reaction and purchase items that are actually no good or should have a lower priority.

For example, I’m bunkering in. I don’t have a BOL at and every time I read about hordes leaving the cities and new theories on how they will rip apart every home between their old home and the nearest coastline I reconsider my decision. Is this likely, what if it is only 50% true, etc. I then consider what I need to do and, I necessary, make some changes. Of course this is an extreme, my current concern is that if anything happens I don’t have a rooster which I see as a flaw in my plans, what use are the chicks when they will die off in a few years? This doesn’t require major changes to my preps.

The Uncertainty part is what causes these issues. Not knowing what is going to happen and then compounding this by considering options by people that make statement that may or may not be true. Because many have a lot more experience than yourself you automatically put more credence into their predictions but they may not have any more knowledge that yourself, just a better imagination or new concern.

Fear causes us to panic and we become irrational, sometimes it is as simple as rushing out and buying some items because they seem the best thing for an event that with a bit of thought you think would never happen or could be covered better and cheaper by something else. We have all done it. I have a small inflatable that I bought because it seemed a good idea at the time.

Uncertainty causes us to question everything and expand meanings to try and gather facts. To reconsider things we have spent a long time thinking about and made rational decisions on.

Doubt makes us question ourselves. Are we up to this, will we ever be ready? Perhaps I should just follow the crowd and buy what they are buying. Doubt is in many ways one of the worst as it makes us question everything we do and not the subject we should be questioning. Thus we do the wrong things and we don’t tailor for our individual needs. Nobody knows your situation like you do.

So when hit by FUD reading an article or when you get told something then follow this list.

1. Don’t Panic. Don’t rush this process in panic. Good advice all the time.
2. Don’t do anything before you complete this process. Put your preps and purchases on hold unless you are 100% sure that they won’t be impacted.
3. Consider the impact of your new information on your situation. Does it actually impact you?
4. If it does then exactly what is the impact and what does it mean to you? What will change as a result?
5. What exactly is that impact? Is it positive or negative and worth bothering about?
6. If you decide you do want to bother about it what can you do? Does it resolve the issue and return you to where you were? What is the cost of that? Is it worth it?
7. Make your decision. It doesn’t matter how big either, if your decision is now you have to bug out instead of staying put then you must start planning. Hopefully, it will be much simpler such as you need to cache items closer to home.
8. Revisit your plans, purchase lists and your training requirements. Update them by removing items no longer required and adding any new items. Consider selling any superfluous kit that is no longer required but make sure if you do that the kit is unlikely to be needed for something else.
9. Follow your revised plan and start using your new shopping lists.

Don’t let FUD paralyse you. Process it and get it out of the way. Ask for help if you find you are having difficulty and don’t question yourself all the time unless new facts come up. It is counterproductive.