A peculiarly modern obsession is about how we would cope away from society's comforts. This manifests itself in courses such as the Bear Grylls Survival Academy featured in The National yesterday through to preparations for a full-blown zombie apocalypse – or, you know, something else.
Even though the prospects of such a cataclysm are unlikely and energy would be better spent on mundane concerns such as ensuring we have money put away for retirement, this curious obsession persists – and Bear Grylls’ own retirement fund gets fatter.
The classic image of the post-civilisation existence comes from rugged individualists in movies like Mad Max and movements like the US survivalists living in remote cabins with years worth of preserved food and tons of ammunition. However, for most of human history, survival has been most likely if we are part of a group all working together – as is taught in Mr Grylls’ survival course. The zombies are coming? You’ll need a friend.
