Preparedness – Survive with Will – Thoughtful Analysis & Perceptions https://www.survivewithwill.com Thoughtful Analysis, Perceptions, Commentary, and Interviews on Everything Important in the World Wed, 06 May 2020 06:17:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://i0.wp.com/www.survivewithwill.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/cropped-American_Flag_1.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Preparedness – Survive with Will – Thoughtful Analysis & Perceptions https://www.survivewithwill.com 32 32 139766861 How to Handle Raw Data from Sources https://www.survivewithwill.com/2020/04/30/how-to-handle-raw-data-from-sources/ Thu, 30 Apr 2020 05:00:05 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1750 Read More]]>

Executive Summary:

The raw data gathering process can be very arduous and time-consuming. Confidential sources are invaluable in the process. They can shear 50% of the time off of the data gathering load.

Never expose sources; if you do, you have to defend their integrity. You should process and verify the raw data independently.

 Never forget:

  • Sources are unreliable
  • Sources are not professional data gatherers
  • Sources provide 80% normative data and 20% empirical data
  • The best sources are as bad or worse than your target
  • Sources almost always have a hidden agenda
  • Sources obfuscate their culpability
  • Sources exaggerate

 The ONLY WAY TO USE A SOURCE is to take everything, and I mean everything that they offer. Then squeeze more, go granular. Thank them, sing their praises to them, and move away. Take copious notes. Immediately after, categorize and record all of the critical points of raw data; who, what, where, why, when. Do it while the moment is fresh in your mind. Make notes from your recollection of their inflection, when, about what. Note the exact wording of their normative statements of “fact.” Parse out the empirical data.

 

Supportive Detail:

Example: “I know Joe did it, I don’t know why, but he did. He is a bad guy. He got that supervisor job instead of Lenny because he is a snake. I saw him going out the door in the rear corner of the building. It is hidden behind the large racks, in a poorly lit area. When I was in that area to help find a sign that flew away, I saw several crushed boxes of those new micro camcorders that we lost a few weeks ago. I was so mad, I never liked Joe he is really arrogant and always hanging out and flirting with that girl in the shipping area. I saw a few of those camcorders in a pile on the opposite end of the warehouse the other day near the trucker’s lounge, and those stock guys are so lazy…… “

In the example, there is a plethora of raw data. It is mostly normative.

Normative Data (Subjective/Not Supported by Tangible Proof)

  • Joe did it
  • Joe is a bad guy – Source is “mad” at Joe and never liked him
  • The source is not happy that Joe is the supervisor
  • Lenny may have an ax to grind with Joe over job advancement
  • The source may have familial ties to Lenny
  • Source says that the stock guys are lazy

 

Empirical Data (Objective, Verifiable, Reproducible)

  • Source says Joe went out obscured rear door
  • Joe hangs out and flirts with a girl in the shipping area
  • Source says she saw a few of the missing camcorders in a pile near the trucker’s lounge

The empirical data is still raw, untested, unverified. The next step is to verify the raw data. That can be done by reviewing video surveillance, interviewing other personnel working in the same area, etc. Once the data is verified by more than one other independent source, it becomes more useful. It may be looked upon as base knowledge for use later in understanding more complex activities and decision making.

While the normative data may help you divine out motivations and connections between actors, it has no useful value in factual data. It is unscientific, subjective, and most commonly corrupted by emotional “feelings.”

The source’s data may provide varying levels of usefulness. Each additional data point can move you closer to the truth by turning your attention to things that you would not necessarily have known about or considered. As a skilled gatherer, you must hone your skills to parse the normative from the empirical. You must rapidly test and validate the empirical data, and discard any that fails the test.

Executive Conclusion:

Every day you intake loads of raw data in the form of news stories, twitter, Facebook, etc. feeds. You must strive to apply the approach of ignoring the source. Instead, make copious notes of the data points provided. Then identify, based upon the words chosen and the context, whether the data is normative or subjective. The more that you practice the skill, the more efficient and accurate that you will become. In no time, you will become much better at developing more reliable, validated assessments of complex matters.

I warn you though, as you master the skill, you will find that it will change how you look at the world, the people who you have known for years, and even those closest to you. It will pull back the veil on the world, which has always been right in front of you that you never knew existed. It can be quite shocking and end what you thought were friendships. I would simply say, you will be so much better off being able to protect yourself from the misdirection and obfuscation. I will also give you a new powerful tool to help you make better decisions and avoid those things that “just always happen to you.”

 

 

]]> 1750 True Preparedness Demands Effort https://www.survivewithwill.com/2018/06/21/true-preparedness-demands-effort/ Thu, 21 Jun 2018 21:47:22 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1573 Read More]]>

True Preparedness Demands Effort

Those Who Work Hard Survive, Those Who Depend Upon Others Suffer

Even the most cursory assessment of those who are striving to be truly prepared yields a clear common denominator among them. Those who are prepared are willing and driven to work, work hard, relentlessly, and without coercion. They know, either inherently, or by experience that only those who “do things” will survive. The lazy, the greedy, the sycophants will inevitably perish.

"As with all forms and matters of preparedness,
being properly prepared requires effort” WH

Your true level of preparedness is much less dependent upon your financial abilities and the “toys” that you have as it the amount of effort that you wish to dedicate. If you are lazy, you will fail to survive. If you are too embarrassed to build kits, develop skills, and practice you are wasting your time. If you afraid to be ridiculed when you pack your survival gear to take with you, then stop now, this is not for you.

The four basic grades of preparedness and subsets:

  • Survival Voyeur
    • Prepper
  • Active
    • Bushcrafter
    • Survivalist
  • Prepared Practitioner©

Survival Voyeurs are titillated by watching shows depicting survival activities but do nothing for themselves. Preppers watch shows, talk to others who claim skill, buy stuff they are told or fear mongered into getting. The things go into the closet, tubs in the basement, or in the garage. On occasion preppers may play out scenarios or tryout skills with others who are on the cursory fringes. Bushcrafters study and practice “old school skills.” Those skills vary from primitive fire, cordage, and shelter making to hunting and trapping. They develop useful skills if you were to be lost in the wilderness without the advantage of modern tools. The most dedicated of bushcrafters prefer to emulate native American Indian skillsets shunning modern aids. Survivalists run the gambit from runner gunners and bunkers and bullets, to a melding of bushcrafting with modern advantages such as guns, ferocium rods, etc. A Prepared Practitioner© is a fusion of all the others. Respecting time tested skills and knowledge, applying every tool available to speed and refine positive outcomes, the Prepared Practitioner© will exploit anything at hand to survive, and thrive. Active and Prepared Practitioner© demand dedicated, drive and determination, they are not couch potato sports. The rewards are tremendous. The lessons and skills learned positively effect everything that you do.

People living in Western cultures of the 22nd century are the heirs of an easy life. The generations preceding them left a legacy that allows people to “relax,” to spend time on more lofty pursuits than raw survival, allowing them to be soft. Even the poorest of people in first world nations enjoy more and do less than any generation before them, even in civilized nations. It is a double-edged sword. The positive effect is an ability for those of higher intellect to excel to new heights creating technology and broadening the understanding of the world around us. Those advances make everyone’s life better, from the strongest to the weakest, the smartest to the most challenged, everyone benefits. There are negative effects too. People become more sedentary, they lose the drive to work, they are lulled into dependency. The extra time they have allows them to be self-centered, take on trivial pursuits, and reduce their positive contributions to society. As the old saying goes, “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

Today we are able to focus on science and the arts, entertainment and leisure. Previous generations, like those in today’s 2nd and 3rd world nations are busy toiling at attaining sustenance such as food, water, shelter, etc. There are even some places in 1st world nations, shunned and ignored by “modern culture”, where people struggle through a hard scrapple life, in the shadows.

Living a happy, healthy, fulfilling life is a result of a complex set of behaviors that span a lifetime, not something that you bought, a class that you attended, or others did for you. Your survival is dependent upon you, your effort, the breadth of your base knowledge, and your drive to survive are the key. The challenge is that the drive required to survive stands in conflict to the lifestyle and trappings of a successful 1st world nation’s people.

We at SurviveWithWill.com, PracticeSurvival.com, PracticePreparedness.com, and more (see other sites tab) hope to excite you to find the simple sustainable security and happiness derived from living and growing in a selfsuffient lifestyle. Whether you are just starting or you have lived your entire life that way, it is not the destination that matters as much as the journey. Our websites, the articles contained in them, and the classes that we provide are geared to add to your journey.

]]> 1573 How Visual and Audible Inputs Alter Perception https://www.survivewithwill.com/2017/12/30/how-visual-and-audible-inputs-alter-perception/ https://www.survivewithwill.com/2017/12/30/how-visual-and-audible-inputs-alter-perception/#comments Sat, 30 Dec 2017 07:39:59 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=513 Read More]]>

In hopes of expanding your understanding of how visual and verbal inputs completely alter your perspectives and reality I have chosen one of my favorite quirky movies to help elucidate the premise. Observe the power of perception. The tale speaks to what I believe is an important lesson in life, one of my signature phrases: “Perception is reality. Reality is perception.”

The movie The Grand Budapest Hotel based on the book, “The Society of the Crossed Keys” is a colorful tale following the adventures of Gustave H, an influential concierge at

You see? There are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity. Indeed, that's what we provide in our own modest, humble, insignificant way

The Grand Budapest Hotel; a European hotel. The story is bookended between the first and second world wars. The “lowly” lobby boy, a key character, becomes Gustav H’s (the prime character) most trusted friend. Throughout the story and adventures Gustav H adheres to a very rigid and “civilized” code of honor. The belief that no matter how lowly you are in your station in life, you are elevated through the act of being a “gentleman’ and civilized.

The loyalty between various “Established Hotel” concierge’ around the world sets the tone for the way that civilized behavior is developed as a means of language, compromise, established loyalty, and the perception of being something greater than oneself. To many of the hotel’s patrons the Concierge and bell boys are “lowly servants.” The movie vividly depicts how through living their code, their loyalty, and pride in action they create an entirely alternative world that the patrons rarely see. They are far more respectable and respectful than most of the patrons. They are privy to the quirks, vices, and failings of the patrons. All the while they are discrete, dignified, and respectful. That is the power of belief and principles. As principles to paint perception, they can change the entire “reality.”

Gustav H the main character in the movie takes you through a series of clearly Machiavellian situations where his behaviors assault the senses of a “moral person”. (See Article on Machiavelli.) Yet at the same time he does so with dignity, the utmost in service to his patrons, and stern adherence to the principles of his duties, discretion, and loyalty.

I have seen many times, especially in Eastern Europe where the “belief” in the superior nature or stature of an edifice or person was enough to elevate that edifice or person to a place of influence and respect. All of that, in spite of no good reason or explanation of why it should deserve such status. ‘Belief” is a driving force, a collective belief or perception can send men to the gallows and women to the stake. It causes people to take their own life when they feel that they can go no further.

Rationalization is borne from perception; preexisting biases can skew your perception. Your view and other external factors may also alter your perception erroneously. The skewed perception may then support the rationalization of “bad” actions.

"To be frank, I think his world had vanished long before he ever entered it – but, I will say: he certainly sustained the illusion with a marvelous grace!" (Grand Budapest Hotel)

Gustave H’s entire image and social construct is predicated upon a reality that existed only in his mind. That said he “created” the same construct for his guests by the sheer force of his will and perception. The quote on the right is a great example of how Gustav created the world that he desired.

Once I spent seven straight hours on surveillance. I kept copious, detailed notes about the subject. When he moved, I moved. Near the end of the day the light was fading and I removed my sunglasses. Shock!!! I suddenly realized that none of the colors that I recorded were even remotely accurate. I had to rewrite 10 pages of notes to fix the perceptual error. Lesson learned.

Why is someone evil? Stupid? Wonderful? Etc.? Is it your belief because you have experienced it first hand, on repeated occasions? Is it because your friend, who never met them either, or the news repeater told you on the TV? (modern TV news personalities repeat from a written script, they don't report)  Would you put that person to death? With that level of proof? Would you want to be found guilty that way?

Once you are able to recognize how your perception can be skewed, you should realize that the only solution to the conundrum is to employ many people, with many perceptions. Doing so will allow you, working in concert to form a more objective point of view tamping down the preexisting biases and frame of reference. By employing such an approach, you are able to more reliably identify and assess complex and simple things rapidly, objectively, and accurately. Mastering this concept will uniquely position you in a place that can protect and help you as well as others who you can teach. Always remember as Ronald Regan repeatedly told Michael Gorbachev the Russian proverb, "Доверяй, но проверяй" {Doveryai, no proveryai} (trust, but verify). This you too should practice. Always remain aware that perception is reality, and reality is based primarily upon your perception. You should resultantly be more flexible with your thought processes and teach yourself to gather maximum data in order to assure rapid progression from one perception to another. That skill, well-practiced, will significantly enhance your intellectual and physical performance in the “real world”.

In closing, I present below a great video that I found after writing this article which utilizes the movie Grand Budapest Hotel to elucidate my point through careful visual analysis. I hope that you enjoy and that this article has “stimulated your little grey cells”.

The movie is truly a glorious comedy laced with light and dark humor, love, loyalty, and wonderment of a day and life long past. Below is one of my favorite dark humor scenes with Willem Dafoe playing the nearly mute strongman.

]]> https://www.survivewithwill.com/2017/12/30/how-visual-and-audible-inputs-alter-perception/feed/ 1 513 Reactive Response Forfeits Liberty and Freedoms https://www.survivewithwill.com/2017/12/28/reactive-response-forfeits-liberty-and-freedoms/ Thu, 28 Dec 2017 18:57:33 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=494 Read More]]>

Reactive behaviors are dangerous. Proactive actions are strong. Proactive actions are the essence of planning, analytical analysis, and review of historical data. Proactive actions are based upon careful deliberations and well-designed preparations and procedures. Reactive actions are spur of the moment. By their nature, they lack clarity of thought, lack deliberation, and are fraught with shortsighted reasoning. We should take a quick look at this issue and how we see its results intentionally thrust upon us in the real world.

Benjamin Franklin’s quote, widely butchered and amended, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”, would seem to be more appropriate to this topic than most would realize. That quote is commonly applied to arguments regarding the surveillance state and excessive governance/protection. In fact, most people are not aware that Franklin was referring to monetary seizures through taxation. Of course, taxation is an affront to freedom, and threatens liberty if you fail to comply. The solution to the people’s lack of desire to comply is gained through the application of the Hegelian Dialectic. Rahm Emmanuel popularized, or vilified, the concept with his

Hegelian Dialectic 

Problem – Reaction – Solution Paradigm

  1. The government creates or exploits a problem then attributes blame to others.
  2. The populace reacts by asking the government for protection and help to solve the problem.
  3. The government offers the solution that was planned by them long before the crisis occurred.

Outcome: Rights and liberties are exchanged for the illusion of protection and help.

Bruce Yandle (The Freeman) put it well in a recent article:

“… When it comes to crisis management, opportunistic politicians such an [Rahm] Emanuel never miss a chance to convert crises into political pork for special interests.

Rahm’s Rule is a useful accessory to a body of theory that seeks to explain the political economy of regulation. The rule tells us that major crises can provide cover for distributing benefits to targeted special interest groups. The greater the magnitude of a given crisis and the shorter the interval for forming legislation to deal with it, the larger the spread of pork that can be packed into the final legislation. Rahm’s Rule is a guarantee that efforts to resolve a deadline-based crisis will go on to the very last minute."

 

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I had the opportunity to spend a rare day on a nice August day, due to some health issues, I had the opportunity to sit, have coffee and converse about all things survival, prepper and people in general. What a great day. My rare day of socialization allowed me to bounce a few ideas off of my friends and see which things that they liked. We sat, enjoyed some good local java,  swapped some amazing stories, refreshed old memories, brain stormed some new ideas and hopefully set in motion some new opportunities. Some of the new opportunities includes adding a skilled ground water treatment specialist to the ranks at PracticeSurvival.com.

The theme of our conversation meandered a bit, but gradually a common theme began to emerge; People and their survival and prepping plans are similar to a hungry person at a buffet; they load their plate with lots of food but end up only eating a small amount. Similarly, most preppers watch great and entertaining shows about survival in the wild like Bear Grylls, Dual Survival, Man, Woman vs Wild. They are great shows, and the hosts are very skilled. Unfortunately most of the viewers do not share any skills, physical condition, endurance or experience that the hosts demonstrate. After watching the show the viewers are pumped up. They believe that they can do the trek in the wilderness. BUT!! most of them have been so long without riding a bike, taking a hike period. If you give them a pack fully outfitted to live off of the land they will have a stroke in minutes. They get winded climbing the stairs. The viewers head off to buy all of this great gear. But they really don’t know what to do with it and it is unlikely that they will ever make it far enough to find out.

Lets get real! Real survival and self reliance requires endurance, It also requires hands on practice. Without both of those factors the likelihood of success is greatly diminish. So get off of you posterior and let’s get doing .
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