Ranger is one smart and resourceful dude!

He could join my group anytime!

Thanks Mamaizzy and JAB with your help on developing a five point scale for psychological preparedness (mindset). This is very difficult subject and it is even more difficult to develop a five point scale that anyone can use to see how far along they are. Showing flexibility, adaptability, resourcefulness, etc. maybe we should pose a question.
If the SHTF would you be able to, for the good of the group, be able to :
1. continue?
2. reject people who are obviously in need?
3. leave loved ones behind?
4. make life/death decisions for non group members?
5. make life/death decisions for group members?

Help me out here please. I would like to see everyone's comments.

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Thanks Mamaizzy and JAB with your help on developing a five point scale for psychological preparedness (mindset). This is very difficult subject and it is even more difficult to develop a five point scale that anyone can use to see how far along they are. Showing flexibility, adaptability, resourcefulness, etc. maybe we should pose a question.
If the SHTF would you be able to, for the good of the group, be able to :
1. continue?
2. reject people who are obviously in need?
3. leave loved ones behind?
4. make life/death decisions for non group members?
5. make life/death decisions for group members?

Help me out here please. I would like to see everyone's comments.

1. continue - yes
2. reject people who are obviously in need - for the good of the group, yes
3. leave loved ones behind - the circumstances would have to be extremely desparate
4. make life/death decisions for non group members - refer to number 2
5. make life/death decisions for group members - I would like to say yes but the truth is, until I'm put into that situation, I won't be 100% sure

1. continue - yes
2. reject people who are obviously in need - for the good of the group, yes
3. leave loved ones behind - Yes, I have 4 siblings, each with 2 children who have 2 children. At what point would you say NO? None are preppers.
4. make life/death decisions for non group members - If they are or could be a danger to my group yes
5. make life/death decisions for group members - It would depend on situation, Mercy killing maybe, Banishment most likely, kill to protect, no problem.

5. life/death decisions for group members.... may indeed be life/death decisions for the group itself.

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You do have a good point, to a point. But would you give to the unfortunate, until there is nothing left to give. Would you trust a stranger that may end up killing you and many of your group for your food/medication. How far do you show mercy, the person from the side of the road that your trying to save, uses up all the medication and dies any ways. Yes, what a lot of us have said may seem cold, but some of us have seen the bad side of the destitute. Some of us have had to make calls that were distasteful, but sometimes to save the masses, a single person has to perish. If you cannot or will not make that call, then don't lead. The person that does lead has to have a conscience, and will suffer in silence for what some may seem unfeeling, cold, rash or flippant. General Grant of the American Civil war, was said to drink to forget how many men that he sent to their deaths. Dont take this as an attack upon what you said, but as it has been said, walk in the shoes first before judging.

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I would like to focus on the question. It is difficult to develop a five point scale psychological preparedness (mindset). The one that I threw out there was:
If the SHTF would you be able to, for the good of the group, be able to :
1. continue?
2. reject people who are obviously in need?
3. leave loved ones behind?
4. make life/death decisions for non group members?
5. make life/death decisions for group members?

This is intended as a personal scale that you could use to see what level would be appropriate for you and how far along that scale you are towards your personal gaol.

We have had some good responses so far. There seems to be consensus in items 1 to 3. The last two are exactly what they say. Could you make a life death decision. Number five does mean could you end the life of a member of your group. I was envisioning scenarios like one of the following:

You have run out of diesel fuel for the generator that heats you greenhouse on which your groups survival depends. There are 60 days of winter left. You know there is another group 25 miles away what has diesel for barter. You do have an excess of some dried goods and you are pretty sure they would trade. It is suggested that you send two of your members to trade with the other group and two people, a man and his teenage daughter have volunteered. You would like to send more than two but that it not possible also these are the only group members that could be spared. Along the way you are aware that there are a number of roaming bands of murderous "vagabonds" that would love nothing more than your dried goods or the diesel. If you send them you know that they may not make it back. It is your choice and your choice alone. Could you make the decision?

You have a member of the group that has been caught pilfering group food supplies on more than one occasion. There is barely enough food for the group to get by. Banishment would seem to be the consequence. However banishment would mean almost certain death. It is your choice and your choice alone. Could you make the decision?

Tough choices for sure. Not shooting or executing anyone, not directly anyway. Maybe one of the questions for psychological preparedness should have been would you be prepared to defend your group with your life and with the use of deadly force.

Anyway I hope everyone can see where I am going I want a usable personal scale for psychological preparedness. I look forward to your discussions.

We need diesel for the generator and the man and his teenage daughter are the only ones who could go? A tough decision, knowing the danger, but yes, I could.
A member who's been caught pilfering food, could I banish him? He's betrayed our trust, for himself, he's willing to create hardship for the rest of the group for his own ends, banish him. In a heartbeat.
Would I be prepared to defend my group with my life and the use of deadly force? Been there, done that.

Thanks tazweiss. So given the scenarios I gave you would score 5 assuming that was your goal. what do you think about the question That I added about defending the group. I would do that too. Never had to but fully prepared to do so. However either we re-write the five point scale or drop one of the existing questions. I thought of that one later but I think it is important. Help me out here.

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Gravlore in the scenario that I posed I assumed that the two individuals knew fully the risks and were prepared to take them. That is why they volunteered, for the good of the group. The point is would can you, or would you make the final decision. It's a scale. If you felt that that is something you could never do then perhaps your goal would be level 4. Others may not be comfortable with # 2 in which their goal would be #1. If they thought that they could go on in a SHTF situation they have reached their goal! I am trying to reach a consensus on what reasonable questions would be for each of the important components. Psychological preparedness is a very difficult one. I appreciate your input. No one has the "right" answers. There are no right answers everything is hypothetical right now. If the SHTF and we all truly hope it does not, there will not be time to contemplate some of these questions. Much better to consider them now, take a personal inventory and at least have an idea how you would like to react.