Surviving The Apocalypse.

When we talk about surviving a SHTF scenario, our first thoughts are about staying alive long enough to make it to the rebuilding stage. Being an old fart, if I did survive, I don't expect to be around too much longer after the event. I would try to stick around long enough to make sure the next generations were self sufficient enough to keep a few of us humans alive on this tiny blue marble. Once I was sure I was no longer needed. I would take the long walk, as I would not want to be a burden, or deplete precious resources, that will surely be needed.

Rebuilding is not going to be easy. Every surviving group, at some time, is going to have to cooperate and work with the other surviving groups to rebuild. There are going to be a lot of obstacles, one huge one, is likely to be communication.

Many are teaching their children survival skills, just in case they aren't around to help them. Why isn't universal communication on the top of our list?

A big puzzler for me, is why in a world were communication is critical to survival and happiness, do we still not have a universal language. A language that we agree to teach all children from birth. Of course they can still hold on to the language of their culture, but that would be their second language.

Even sign language is different depending on the area or country you live in. Wouldn't a true universal language for communication, go a long way to helping all of us survive the apocalypse?

Most all people include a bit of gesturing when they communicate. I think sign language would be a good choice. I opt for American sign language, not because I am American, but because unlike the spoken language, it really does seem to be the simplest of all the other sign languages. Even when looking at the words formed by fingerspelling, the signs almost look like the words.

I know it is not something that most people think about, but maybe it is something we should think about. A global world needs a global way to communicate.




Cheat sheet:
Talk to the hands, learning American sign language will open up a whole new world.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

So you believe everyone forget how to speak if something happens..
sign language would be on the last things on my "how to survive list"
If I should meet a person in my country that do not speak danish, English or German or lost the ability to speak.. I am sure I could just make drawings in the dirt or how about writing on paper.. or just pointing and nodding.

originally posted by: Spacespider
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

So you believe everyone forget how to speak if something happens..
sign language would be on the last things on my "how to survive list"
If I should meet a person in my country that do not speak danish, English or German or lost the ability to speak.. I am sure I could just make drawings in the dirt or how about writing on paper.. or just pointing and nodding.

But what if you both already spoke the same language?

Time is saved, and the trust factor would go way up.

The whole idea is to bridge the gap before the SHTF. Maybe, just maybe, if there was no language barriers, the SHTF scenario would be avoided all together.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

In a post apocalyptic world, sign language would be the last thing that you would need to learn.

After all, you have to be close enough to someone so they can see what you are signing. That means within close range, and until you know someone else's intentions, it seems like the last thing you would want to do is get up close and personal.

Sadly, i don't think I'm as optimistic as you are.

originally posted by: nightbringr
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

In a post apocalyptic world, sign language would be the last thing that you would need to learn.

After all, you have to be close enough to someone so they can see what you are signing. That means within close range, and until you know someone else's intentions, it seems like the last thing you would want to do is get up close and personal.

Sadly, i don't think I'm as optimistic as you are.

The time frame I am discussing, is that time, post apocalypse, when people are coming together to rebuild.

It is likely that there will be numerous problems that the survivors will have to overcome. I am asking why are we waiting until it becomes another unneeded obstacle, in the rebuilding phase, post apocalypse.

I offered a suggestion. No. Sign language will not work in all circumstances, but neither will oral communication. What I am suggesting is a global language for a global community.

I am open to any and all ideas on how we could make that happen. Unfortunately, I am not as optimistic as you think, but I guess I am a dreamer.

There always seems to be more people that are convinced at what we "can't" do, then there are people that believe what we "can" do. I do dream that one day we as a people will be willing to try, before we give up.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Thats great, what if some ZOMBIE eats your hands off, then what, smart guy?

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

I remember reading of a older Native elder making the statement to a English Colonialist that the best thing the tribes got was the ability to communicate with one another . Language has its geographic spots where when tshtf will only require local peoples to communicate .English or French in the province where I live would probably make it to the other side of the mess . As far as travelling to a European country then even English or French could probably get you by .

One thing the Colonialist did was spread their language far and wide . I was surprised to find out that lots of Africans actually spoke French . Not so much the English part but even when you look at isolated places like Australia of New Zealand you see that English has come to be spread all around the world .

The sign language is cool though .

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Mathematics is our universal language.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Mathematics is our universal language.

Now we just have to learn how to hold a decent conversation with it.

originally posted by: HUMBLEONE
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Thats great, what if some ZOMBIE eats your hands off, then what, smart guy?

If some Zombie eats of your hands, you will communicate the way all the other Zombies do.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

People seldom even enquirer in real life as to how others are anymore, hello, how are you, have a nice day, good evening, there just not said in the street anymore.

Especially to strangers who very few people even bother to acknowledging outside for fear of the unknown or actually initiating a conversation............But they will talk endlessly on there mobiles or and at the drop of a hat communicate with virtual strangers via social networking sites , just like this one, seemingly with ease.

Guess the art of conversation has changed somewhat.

ASL is only used in America. You won't be able to communicate with Russian or French Signers, or Chinese or Mexican, etc.

I think travel and tourism will take a nose-dive.

There won't be anything of consequence to trade until you scavenge some old tech and cobble together new production. It'll take economies of scale to require trade language. By the time you've built a forge and are tempering steel, you'll be working on radios, too. Untill then, it will be the universal sign-language of gestures: "I'll trade you my handful of delicious grubs, for your handful of delicious grubs."

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

People seldom even enquirer in real life as to how others are anymore, hello, how are you, have a nice day, good evening, there just not said in the street anymore.

Especially to strangers who very few people even bother to acknowledging outside for fear of the unknown or actually initiating a conversation............But they will talk endlessly on there mobiles or and at the drop of a hat communicate with virtual strangers via social networking sites , just like this one, seemingly with ease.

Guess the art of conversation has changed somewhat.

This true, but if the SHTF, there will be no Internet. Long distance communication will likely be smoke signals or reflective Morse code.

If the there is no apocalypse, then we have it made, because everyone will be communicating with translator apps and emojis.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

The world spins, and people seem to prefer pressing buttons than conversation regarding communication.

As to the apocalypse, if Russia and America keep up the level of posturing and nuclear penis waving over the Sirian debacle that could actually be a possibility.

Lets just hope our political overlords don't communicate with emojis.......or like pressing buttons for that matter.

the result of any apocalypse scenario will be to RE-SET civilization...

communication with outsiders/out landers will be severely restricted... the battery operated devices which have 'google' apps which interpret language will be important... the ability to recharge these hand held devices will guarantee the owner a community status on par with Shamans/Doctors/Priests-of-a-past-age

the RESET will do away with AC current & go with 12volt DC battery power, rechargeable battery banks to supply refrigeration to an extent and interior lighting using localized power supplies like wind/solar/thermal/water wheels, etc or anything to drive alternators that supply electrical charge to a battery bank...

I think men are too resourceful to regress to grunts or neo-lithic society... we will have technology salvaged for a goodly long time after the devastation onslaught... IMHO

originally posted by: redempsh
ASL is only used in America. You won't be able to communicate with Russian or French Signers, or Chinese or Mexican, etc.

I pointed out that even sign language is different in different regions and different countries, so a universal global language would need to be devised. I suggested ASL, because it seems easier to learn than the others.

There won't be anything of consequence to trade until you scavenge some old tech and cobble together new production. It'll take economies of scale to require trade language. By the time you've built a forge and are tempering steel, you'll be working on radios, too. Untill then, it will be the universal sign-language of gestures: "I'll trade you my handful of delicious grubs, for your handful of delicious grubs."

Long before forges, steel, or even radios, there will be a need for communication.

Every survival group will be looking for other survivors and a way to get back to some level of civilization. They will not be reinventing the wheel. There will likely be scouts sent out to try to contact other survivors and report what is going on in the rest of the world. Like Post Men. Imagine how much easier this would be if there was no language barrier.

a reply to: St Udio

The result of any full blown nuclear apocalypse will be at least an initial return to the iron age/preindustrial era.

And that's only if there is no nuclear winter and the radioactive fallout does not destroy or render a significant percentage of any survivors sterile or worse.

If that happens we are back to the caves.

A universal language is a great idea, however I fear it would be kind of redundant if it's truly a shtf event. People would killing and robbing each other so often that I don't think speaking would be commonly done. Let's face it, when everyone is hunting everyone else talking out loud is not a good habit. Nevertheless, I do agree universal language would be great.

originally posted by: Natas0114
A universal language is a great idea, however I fear it would be kind of redundant if it's truly a shtf event. People would killing and robbing each other so often that I don't think speaking would be commonly done. Let's face it, when everyone is hunting everyone else talking out loud is not a good habit. Nevertheless, I do agree universal language would be great.

I was not thinking about the immediate period after the event. I was thinking further down the road, when most of the savages had killed each other off, and the rest of the survivors would be interested in forming colonies and rebuilding.

I ran this past a few people after class, and was very surprised at how receptive people were to the idea. Both the young and the old. Of course, most felt it was important that the children kept their birth languages, but starting as babies, learning a language that all other children were learning, all over the world, they thought was a great idea.

Of course with time, the birth language everywhere would be the same. I know this is just a wild idea and probably belongs in Skunk Works, but who knows. One day.....

Let those who's ignorance rise above them be. I understand what you're saying. However, lets not forget the tower of Babel which was the first step in people not conjoining in ways to rise to God. You see this happening in every hour we live in our country. In shtf, maybe its not Gods plan that we do communicate. We are all supposed to learn on our own accord what to do. When shtf happens, we are not to go down to the house to get clothes, what makes it right for us to go down and "communicate" with others to "try" and make it thru. Maybe its an individual task we each are destined. This is and was not about ASL. Its about the ways of communicating to survive when all along we're supposed to survive on our own. Those who speak unknowingly about your concern are those who have no understanding. They want to fire back with ASL would be the last thing they do or learn in survival. The first thing they or anybody should do is ask, why once again are we divided by a language barrier. With God as the sovereignty we should know that what happens happens for his reason. If we are to rebuild then he will give us all of what we need to rebuild. In the end though it is said that he will rebuild. So why worry about communicating with others when Gods Already got the date set for reconstruction that HE will be the architect of? A little out there I know, but when you know God then you know not to be concerned about our communication....if that was the case than the tower of Babel would be the true 1st seventh wonder of the world. God Bless man. Have a great night.