What would post apocolyptic society be like?

This is about any society ending scenaro. Whether it be nuclear war, apocolypse, a solar flare that ends electronics, a massive virus, or anything that would decimate the population or society as we know it. A
"The Stand" scenario, where only a few survive.

I bring this up because I am reading a book, that was given to me by a friend, about this very thing. What would happen if technology was destroyed and we were left with a handful of people scattered around the world to carry on?

This book is about how the best and worst of society will come to light. You have the Lord of the Flies types who take over and use fear and control as a method of rule.
Or would we have pockets of kind leaders, who would bring order but make the best come out of people and use thier strenghts to unify the group? Or would we have a bit of everything?

I find the concept interesting, and would wonder what the thoughts are of the members here, exactly would society turn into?

An interesting view is that of Nightfall by Isaac Asimov and that a war would break out for leadership between science and religion, and people take sides with one or the other.

Do you think, when put into the worst of survival situations, when resources are scarce, that humans would revert to their worst forms, even killing for the simplest rations?
That people would lose their morals and humanity instantly?
Or do you think people would maintain some kind of order? Those who have morals keep them, those who are criminally minded or selfish remain so?

I think we can all agree that humans need a pecking order. There are always leaders and always followers and people would break into groups as such. The alpha, beta, gammas.

Studies have shown time and again that people naturally break into their area of expertise, in teh event of an emergency. For example, those who are doctors, nurses, and emts automatically start treating people. Those who lead naturally start leading and directing people. A teacher will take their role and start instructing people. Those who know how to defend do so. This is a readily accepted idea, that is even portrayed in Hollywood movies as such. But in many times, the weak are still defended.
Would that stay the same? Or in the name of survival, those who can't produce something worthy of the group are eliminated? Do we not treat the sick and use valuable resources on them?

Your input is appreciated.

Watch The Road Warrior.

reply to post by nixie_nox


Hey Nixie!

There are many post apocalyptic visions out there, especially in film. So staying within that medium I will bring up a film I watched recently called The Road That offers a very stark view of what surviving the apocalypse would be like.

Another honorable mention is The Book of Eli though this movie does have some fantastical aspects - there is a bite of truth behind it.

Both of these movies work towards addressing the hardships that one might encounter in a world that has simply fallen apart.

~Heff

reply to post by Hefficide


I read the book "The Road".
Then saw the movie.
Then went into therapy.
It's gotta be better than that!

Hello,

If the post-apocalyptic scenario played out and there were really only handfuls of survivors here and there and modern technology was all but annihilated then I think initially there would be situations as you describe (violent gangs and benevolent leaders).

Ultimately though, after generations, then I think civilisation would re-establish and develop in pretty much the same way as it has over the last 3000 years. The violent, ruthless groups would gain control of more and more territory and resources leading to conflict with other equally ruthless groups. The victors would record events showing them in a good light, and demonstrating their entitlement to control their conquered land and people. Eventually, the descendants of those that have been conquered just come to accept the status quo having known no other way.

The best that I have seen is "Book of Eli". Not the best movie ever made, but a fair vision, I think.

I think a lot of it would depend on what caused the scenario though. The world would be different, post nuclear holocaust that in would, say, after a global pandemic.

In some situations the earth itself would quite possible start to die. In others, it would probably regenerate to immense lengths.

Some other good TV Shows would be:

Jericho - (Don't want to spoil 'the big reveal' so will just say it's Domestic terrorism involvin nukes in the US)
Jeremiah - Good show cancelled before it's time, virus wipes out all adults and we're fast forwarded 10 years or so
Survivors - (Not seen original for some reason yet, new series prematurely cancelled)

Films

Threads
The Road
The Day After (NOT the day after tomorrow, which is good fun but that's all)
Testament

Off the top of my head, there's more but these spring to mind.

Oh in answer to the original question:

I would be Supreme Emperor and you would all kneel before me.

Edit to add:

Sorry meant to ask, what is the title of the book you're reading, if you don't mind me asking please?

Post appocolyptic world means you have to do your own work: Pioneer style.
Hunting, cooking, gathering firewood, water processing, washing clothes by hand, growing your own food, policing your spot of living, reading up on things to learn: making soap, doctoring, etc.. Educating your children yourself. It would be work. Not violence. After burying the dead and dealing with the stupid violent people the
survivors would have to work to bring back order in society. Too many Americans have guns for any one dictator/King to take over. We have dealt with that before. More people are more educated today than in the past, things can be dealt with. Apocolypse probably would not bother the people who live third world now, what
drastic change would they have...

reply to post by nixie_nox


Starred and Flagged; excellent subject to think over.


Geez, where to start? Come to think of it, that question would probably represent the first matter people would need to address once they survived and got through the initial shock and craziness of the "event", whatever it was.

I think that families and small communities would band together first, most especially in rural areas, to work together to survive and pick up the pieces. I give people in rural areas the best chance of surviving and re-establishing some sort of social order and a base of technology.

There is food to hunt, and food in the fields and woods. The populace would have a large percentage of people with multiple skill sets, and there is plenty of material to make bio fuels to turn a generator or power a welder. I once read somewhere that small towns have a disproportionately high number of military veterans in them, especially ex-special forces, and almost every family has multiple weapons in their homes.

Probably the biggest human threat would be those remnants of gangs leaving the cities as the store shelves grew empty.

These folks wouldn't know, or care to try and grow food or hunt game; they are parasites now and would be parasites after an "event". They'd pillage and loot from others who seem like easy prey and then move on.
I definitely think that the small city-states and townships would form up militias and establish watches to deal with the threat posed by outsiders.

Honest survivors coming from the cities would be another matter.

If an accountant doesn't know anything at all other than the plug-in, push-button and mass transit life of the city, they can still be taught to shoot so as to contribute to the common defense, and they can still be taught a relevant trade such as planting and harvesting. Plus they would add to the labor pool at a time where every job would now be a labor-intensive one without technology such as backhoes and cranes.

if you go back in time to the plagues, that should give you the clearest view of what will happen. people being displaced and fighting for their survival until they get a grip and resettle into their new reality.

it will just be another exciting day in paradise with technologies to help us regroup. we wont suffer too badly in these times

Dystopic fiction from the '70s like Logan's Run or Zardoz...Naked, sexual politics would be obsessed by man until the end of days.

reply to post by LostWorld


Now that is an interesting perspective, thank you.

I am interested in personal pov, not necessarily tv shows.

Though I appreciate everyone's response.

So do you think we would have to start over and essentially spend another 4k years trying to become civilized again?

reply to post by AgentSmith


Except for eastern Pennsylvania. I will be Queen of Eastern Pennsylvania. XD

It's going to depend on how severe the dislocation is. There is a big grey area between "Stainless Steel refrigeratiors and marble countertops for everyone" and "subsisting off of corpses in a radioactive wasteland." It's also more than likely that the damage from the collapse would be distributed uneavenly: Some places and people would be much worse off than others; meanwhile, some might actually end up doing better for themselves than they would have otherwise. So it all depends on how you frame the disaster in question.

Personally I don't expect a single "SHTF" scenario; rather, I see a slow, downward grind taking place over a longer period of time, perhaps punctuated here and there by extreme disasters or crack-ups. I see a world retreating from globalism, huddling back in the city cores, slamming borders shut. Hoarding and shortages may become the norm. Basic services, such as infrastructure, will crumble and the rich will hole up in heavily fortified luxury compounds, turning ever inward in Masque of the Red Death-style decadence and Byzantine intreague. Meanwhile it will be catch-as-catch can for the unwashed masses, with more and more falling through the cracks.

Something else to consider: During Mao's "Great Leap Forward," asw many as 40 million Chinese may have died from starvation and associated woes. But at the time, nobody -- including those in charge -- realized how bad it was. The media was all sunshine and roses, so people in any given villiage thought their troubles were particular to themselves, and had no idea things were so grim everywhere. Meanwhile the leadership deluded itself with propaganda and massaged statistics. The lesson is that even terrible catastrophes can happen without most people realizing it! For many, the SHTF scenario has already arrived...but their voices are drowned out and lost in the enormity of the information flow.

Probably like Fallout 3 without the 50's theme or monsters. Think raiders, slavers, and mercenaries as well as a handful of people just trying to live.