In nature, most animals can be classified as
predators, prey, scavengers, or parasite. People tend to exhibit some
of the same behaviors of these four classes, with the addition of a
fifth into which most preppers will fit.
Predators
Social scientists call the human predators “Type A” personalities, but I prefer a different, more colorful term that starts with the letter “A”.
Predators are always on the hunt,
looking for prey. They tend to travel in packs, but the solitary ones
can be just as dangerous. Some are loud and bold, others stealthy and
quiet, but they're always looking for the next “meal”.
Predators see all others as either competition or food; they don't have many other options available. Competition for “hunting grounds” between humans takes the form of politics on all levels, and often causes
problems for anyone else that happens to be in the area.
Predation comes in many forms in humans. Power over others is a
common goal, money, fame, glory, and sexual gratification are a few
other common goals of human predators. Predators will take what they
want until they are stopped, and that is usually a terminal stop.
You're not going to reason with a pack of wolves; you'll need to kill
a few to get the message across. Some in the prepper community
espouse the “warlord” theory, where they'll just take whatever
they need when TSHTF, and these are predators.
Prey
Mainly herbivores that reproduce quickly and reach maturity at an early age, prey are generally quieter and more
numerous than predators. Rabbits, mice, and deer are good examples of prey animals.
In people, prey tend to be the ones that are unable to take care of
themselves, so they're often under the control of someone else. Children fall into this category through no fault of their own, but a
good chunk of the population never advances beyond it. Prey are easy
targets when alone, but in large groups they can often take down a
predator since quantity has a quality of its own.
Scavengers
Scavengers are those that live on the
fringes and take what they can find. In nature they are the garbage
collectors that prevent carcasses from piling up; in humans they tend
to be thieves, wanderers, and the homeless.
I run into an ethical
conflict on thieves: my faith tells me to not judge others, but also
that stealing is wrong, so I give them the benefit of the doubt
until they try to mess with my stuff.
Wanderers are treated as guests
until they decide to move on. The homeless are a mixed lot; some
belong in an institution since they can't take care of themselves, but
others are destitute due to circumstances beyond their control. As
preppers, we can learn a lot about surviving without all of our
normal conveniences by studying the scavengers.
Parasites
Parasites live off of the body of a
host. They don't do anything beneficial to the host (that would be a
symbiotic relationship), but instead just suck the nutrients and energy that
they need from the body of the host. In nature we see the various
parasites that we use water filters to remove as well as the fleas,
ticks, and lice that we control with proper hygiene and sanitation.
Human parasites are those that are all take and no give, with a few
classes that have figured out that they can give back 10% of what
they take in order to prolong their feeding.
Dealing with human
parasites is a harder concept, since we should have some compassion
for a fellow human being. Set up “filters” to prevent parasites
from entering your life, just like you'd filter water in the woods
before drinking it. Removing a human parasite from your life is not
easy, especially if there is a family connection, but it is necessary
for your continued mental and physical health. Reclaiming your time,
money, and emotional energy gives you your life back.
None of the Above
There is a fifth category that lacks a
good name because it has few counterparts in animals. Neither
predator nor prey, nor parasite nor scavenger, this type just wants to be
left alone to live their life and has the ability to fight back if
needed. They don't act like predators, but will have similar forms of
weapons. The American Bison, African rhino, bees, and most of the
larger primates fall into this category; they don't exclusively hunt
for food and will fight back if threatened. They protect their own
and are best left alone.
In humans, the best current representation
I can find is the libertarian movement: no first use of aggression,
trade instead of taking, and respect for others are all good goals. However, these goals make for lousy politics since they are anathema to both predators and parasites -- which covers most politicians at any level.
One of the ways I've heard this philosophy described is, “we just
want to be left alone, or else”. Historically, groups that want to
be left alone have had to deal with invasion and attack from nearby
predators with varying levels of success. Before WW1, the USA was in
this class for the most part, but that ended rather abruptly.
I work towards the fifth category,
neither predator nor prey. I try to be as self-sufficient as possible
with the ability to work with those around me to tackle the projects
that I don't have the time, tools, energy, or materials to do alone.
I react poorly to predators and parasites, having dealt with too many
over the years.
