IPFS News Link • Communications
Communication Skills: Key Tools for Survival, by S.S.F.
• survivalblog.comMost people wouldn’t keep .22 shells on hand for their .30-06 rifle. They likely wouldn’t waste space in their pantry, storage, garden or
go-bag for foodstuffs that were not calorically or nutritionally dense
compared with the space they occupied
Each serious or well-intentioned survivalist knows how precious
resources, energy, space and time can be, and would likely strive for a
high level of efficiency. Being well prepared and resourceful is a
cornerstone of success when it comes to survival. And yet, there is a
fundamental tool that is oft overlooked- effective communication
strategies.
The tools in a survivalist’s arsenal should reflect necessity. The
select items and materials one keeps on hand can ultimately mean the
difference between success and failure, between abundance and poverty,
and ultimately, between life and death. One of the most functional
assets the strategic survivalist can have on hand is effective,
constructive communication skills.
Effective communication is an important skill for all humans, and should not be undervalued. Ones ability to communicate well can positively impact and change the trajectory of many a conflict or social dilemma. Its development is useful in all types of interpersonal relationships and settings. Crisis, conflict, courtship- it matters not where one imagines he or she might want to use these skills- we need only understand that we most certainly will.
Good communication skills are a fundamental component of human success. When anthropologists study immediate-return foraging cultures, untouched by civilization, they often note a social dynamic which most often comes with unyielding emphasis placed on cooperation and problem solving. It has been termed “fierce egalitarianism”, it makes sense- living in small bands, at the mercy of nature and highly dependent on one-another, humans likely developed solution-oriented communication tendencies in order to be successful in the face of the danger and uncertainty of their world.