The Larva in the Midst of Chaos: Notes on Collapse from a Taoist, Minimalist Prepper

#1: Adaptation vs. Accumulation

"If you want to become full, Let yourself be empty.

If you want to be reborn, Let yourself die.

If you want to be given everything, Give everything up."

--Lao Tzu, in the Tao Te Ching 

In both minimalism and Taoism, much is said about letting things go:—things, as in tangible, physical things that we most likely purchased, or things such as the need to feel secure, the need to control. And at a time like our current time, when all we know seems to be crumbling, this creates a deep conflict within us. We can see the trajectory of the destruction that has occurred so far. The natural response is to grasp for control and security. But when this very act conflicts with our dearest values, it is easy to get stunned, stuck in a stagnant space between what we believe and what we feel. Most of us are raised in societies with rules, social mores, a long list of what is right and what is wrong.

Religion is like this. There are rules, laws, rituals. There are punishments for breaking them or not participating. This is how we know the world, and so we feel a deep sense of struggle, a split of sorts, between these values that we hold and what we know to be true. However, both Taoism and Minimalism are philosophies of living, not religions. There is no confession booth where you must divulge your sins, no punishment for going against holy tenets. When the Tao says "There is no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself", you can understand and agree with that statement. You can take your weapon to a shooting range and practice, and still fully believe that statement. You might feel sorrow, or wish that things were different, but there is no need to feel guilt. The Tao was not meant to be a religion or law; it is simply a guide and a philosophy.

It surely wasn't Lao Tzu's intention to suggest that women who walk alone at night shouldn't know how to defend themselves.

Further, the philosophy of Minimalism can be applied to our current predicament in a helpful way: not to negate the wisdom of acquiring tools that would be helpful in a survival/post-collapse situation, but to assist in how you view these things and your definition of "necessary". For instance, many preppers' collections consist of hundreds of cans of food, lots of guns and ammo, and a wide array of survival and camping gear. In a consumerist society like ours, it is no wonder that we believe that you can buy security. But unless you are one of the super-rich, you are, most likely, not going to be able to buy enough cans to last the rest of your life. Regardless, the canned food will eventually expire and spoil . You may have MRE meals with an expiration date that is thirty years from now, but, even so, if you (hypothetically) survive off of nothing but that high-sodium "food", you would be so unhealthy after a year or two that you would probably die of a heart attack long before your stash ran out. This brings up the question of whether prepping (essentially, preparing for severe changes in how we live or disasters) or adaptation is in order.

None of us can see the future; therefore, simply preparing for isn't always the answer. This doesn't mean, however, that having small stashes like go bags in case of emergency is a bad thing. But, when it comes to the current state of things, adapting to the circumstances as they come and preparing to adapt to future circumstances is more ideal. Being prepared with 2-3 weeks of stored food and water in case of emergency is smart and necessary. But, as we adapt and look at how we may need to adapt as things get worse, growing our own food makes more sense than stockpiling our pantries with years of canned food. And, with the unpredictable nature of the weather due to climate change, a greenhouse is a tool that would allow us to grow food in all types of weather. So focusing on adaptation rather than accumulation is a way of prepping for the future that is a bit more in line with Minimalism as a philosophy, and right on time, as the costs of consumerism become more than most of us can handle.