What not to do

We got a new boss ware I work who claims he is a survivalist. He invited me over to his house to see his survival equipment.

What are you suppose to tell your new boss who you are trying to impress when he has it all wrong?

His idea of survival is a fifth wheel camper pulled by a 2006 ford f350 duel cab diesel.

The camper is loaded with electronics like computers satellite and all the modern convince. His list of survival foods is made up totally of frozen and refrigerated goods. dont even get me started on his cache of firearms. Ime for firearms in survival as you all know but this guy is ready for WW3. not a single praticial firearm in the 25 or more guns he has packed away in that camper. most of them are assult rifles. not a single shotgun in the bunch.

His idea of starting a fire in an emergency situation is a propane torch.

He claims he has spent countless hours researching survival and made his decisions based on his research. I would really like to know ware he is getting his information from. No ware have I ever run across any survival information that says his rig is even remotely close to being a practical survival setup.

Being a good employee thow I keep my mouth shut and let him babble on endlessly about his status symbols.

Im'e sure alot of you have ran into people like this. I ordinarily would try to educate them but him being my boss puts a damper on that. So what ime interested in is how others politely educate the miss informed or stupid. especially those with the Rambo complex

Originally posted by angryamerican
So what ime interested in is how others politely educate the miss informed or stupid.

Instead of telling your boss that he's stupid and has it all wrong, why not try to incorporate some of your ideas with his. Besides, it sounds to me like his idea of survival isn't much for the means of long term survival. He might just be wanting to stay alive as long to see how bad the damage would be.

Add your shotgun to his arsenal, as to provide means of close range self defense while he hunts deer with his rifles. Add your flint stones to his collection so that when the propane bottle runs out, you can still start a fire. You can throw in your solar panels for when the battery runs dead on his truck, you both can still use the satellite.

Just my $.02

I would be curious to know where he got such mixed up information from and exactly what type of event is he planning for? Maybe you could suggest some good sources of information for him. Personally I wouldn't be bragging about everything I had. What prompted him to do so?

Infoholic,

That's a good idea, very dipolmatic. A compromise.
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angryamerican,

Maybe you can get your boss to share some of his "survival experiences", ideas and how he came to his conclusions. Share your experiences, views and your ideas with him, you don't have to agree with everything your boss says, the exchange of ideas will generally help both parties in some ways, no matter how small.

Make sure that your boss is an open minded person before attempting this

Don't let this exchange of ideas degrade into an agressive arguement. Be as dipolmatic as you can, give plenty of examples, situations, reasons and experiences, do not force your views and back off when the topic becomes too emotional, advise as a friend not as a teacher.

Not everyone is paranoid, some are more extreme than others. Some think short term, others long. Survivalist plan according to what they think may happen, some plan for everything, others do not. There are alot of factors invovled. Some ideas are more practical to some people not to others.

I know of a friend who sees the soap as the most important survival gear and cannot see life without it.... . Sure it maybe important, but it should not be the most important, people have lived without soap before.

[edit on 15-4-2007 by ixiy]

AA if he thinks he is safe, leave him be. If you are friends with him, like said above, share ideas to bring him up to speed. If he is just a boss who likes to brag, I'd let him alone. Making your new boss feel stupid may have some backlash, especially if he thinks you are smarter than he is.

Some people are pretty closed minded if they feel they are right, so helping him may be a waste of effort. Use your best judgement.

Thanks for the advise but this guy is a hope less case.
Never served yet he is a expert on all things military.

A neocon thru and thru. Its his way or your wrong and wrong people don't deserve to live.

He is considering this as a long term survival setup. I asked him about fuel and his reply was there will be enough fuel at the abandoned gas stations for years and years of travel. he has a electric pump to pump it out of the big storage tanks.

On the outside it seems like that would work however one big problem with that is everybody else might have something to say about it because they had the same idea.

He smiled when I said that and said to me "that's what the guns are for." Then he said something that amazed me for the sheer arrogance of it. He said "boy for being ex special forces your not very good at this. I finished my beer and quickly went home.

I really am not interested in helping this guy. What I really am interested in is how to help those who want help. not how to be dragged down by the Rambo wanna be's

Originally posted by angryamerican
Thanks for the advise but this guy is a hope less case.

I really am not interested in helping this guy. What I really am interested in is how to help those who want help. not how to be dragged down by the Rambo wanna be's

I don't necessarily think anyone is a hopeless case. Some may be a bit more difficult to crack than others, but everyone deserves the help. I think the absolute best statement made here on ATS in regards to helping people can be simplified by quoting Justin Oldham.

Originally posted by Justin Oldham
...there is no such thing as a fast and sudden enlightenment. What is being done to us has been in the making for decades. The people who have done these things to us have devoted their lives to it. We cannot nor should we waste our hope on something quick. If it took us a hundred years to reach this point, it may very well take us a hundred years to come back from the edge.
source

The man you speak of obviously isn't that far off from being "helped". If he's realized that things are getting as bad as they are, and has taken steps to prepare for a worst case scenario, then he's obviously open (maybe not completely just yet) to suggestions on how to better his chances.

Something you should have learned by being part of the truth movement, freedom fighting, or whatever you wish to call it... is exactly what I quoted Justin Oldham for saying. And in my words... the ways of our today were shaped by our yesterdays... our tomorrows are shaped by our todays.

Don't get fed up with this guy and throw you hands up like he's a lost cause. Go smoke, drink a beer, abuse yourself or whatever it is that you do, regroup and try again. There's more than one way to skin a cat and there's definitely more than one way to share ideas with someone. It's not necessarily what you are saying... but more of how you are saying it, more than likely. Sometimes for some people, you can say something one way and it totally rubs them the wrong way, but you say it completely in reverse... and they're like, "Oh, hey, that makes sense."


Good luck.

You could ask him what he would do with his truck if all of the roads got locked down. Or how he would tow his trailer distances off road. Or what he would do once his batteries ceased to hold a charge or became damaged somehow. Remind him that sooner or later those freeze dried surival meals will run out. Or his water tank will spring a leak or simply run out.

Ask him what will happen to his assault rifles when ammo gets scarce.

Ask him what the satellite is for. I cant imagine what good a satelitte dish would be. GPS? Television? Communication with orbital death rays?

Of course you'll have to be polite about it. Like trying to get something through to a child or imbicil you'll have to constantly rassure them while posing alternate scenerios. Like, "I really like your gun collection but if you had to run out with just the clothes on your back and only one rifle which one would you take and why?"

You know, make him question his own plan. That way if he comes to the conclusion that he doesnt know what he's doing he'll feel good about it because he got there himself. Then he'll become obnoxious and try to show you how to do all sorts of stuff you probably already know how to do and it will get really annoying but you might have just saved his life.

You got it right, just leave it alone.

Other then ranting about similiar situations or giving you bad advice what more is needed to be said?




- NSBiz

Your boss sure is funny. I do think it is wise to leave him be, unless you really like him. Hahahahaaa....

Getting fuel from fuel stations? empty by the time he gets there, unless he is lucky.

Imagine all the fighting he has to do to get fuel from thugs with similar ideas, armed just as well or better then he is. Not sure if he can take out whole gangs armed with military weaponry by himself or with his group of friends, a desperate hunt for fuel, he really does think he is Rambo or Mad Max ....hahahaaa.....

[edit on 16-4-2007 by ixiy]

if he is a tech type you could turn him on to this site or one like survival bill so some one else can clue him in to the real world of actual survival, although his rig is of some use in a limited emergency like an earthquake that will be over and back to normal in a few days or a week or so . he may never of conceived of something going on and on and no light at the end of the tunnel for months years teotwawki or paw so give him a link and see if he gets it. if not well you know where there are some good supplies once he bites it.

yeah, would you really want to be holed up with your boss for months on end? I have a hard enough time dealing with him 8 hours at a time.

I would say like others have suggested, either direct him to some websites that deal with survival or just let him be. I am sure if he went on some survival sites and started bragging about his set up and how he planned on getting fuel etc etc, it would be shot down rather quickly. If he still doesnt get it and the shtf, just politely wave to him as you are passing his worthless "survival" setup. What got me about the whole thing is that he was bragging about his arsenal, I dont tell anyone about my weapons, unless it is on here, or some gun boards where it deals with someone asking what type of firearm is useful for this or that, and personal experiences with said firearms. I have them hidden in easy to access spots around my house and wouldnt trust anyone but my family to know the location of those firearms, and what type of firearams I have. Most of the time with people like that you can use their ego against them, turn him to some websites, he will brag and he will be told that he has it all wrong. He sounds like a real tool to me, so he probably wont change even if he knows he is wrong.