> Revised January 2023 < This is the third revision of this article and series.
Now that we have gone over the basic categories of post-disaster personalities, let’s talk for a minute of a couple of situations that may occur, called “hybrids”. If you didn’t read yesterday’s post…now is a good time to do so before we move on.
Hybrids will start out as one personality type and morph into another; possibly without the person themselves even being aware of their true nature to begin with. And, folks may morph more than once.
This morphing will generally not be to the betterment of the person, or the people around them. Probably the most common morphing will occur would be considered unintentional morphing or situational morphing. Meaning they change but it is due primarily to 
circumstances and it is unintentional in the fact that there was no conscious awareness of who they were prior to grid-down but have to change in order to survive.
I consider all morphing to be towards their true self, who they really are deep inside. It will be a stripping away of the layers that have hidden their true nature.
Another type of hybrid will be a latent personality who knows exactly who they really are inside but they are waiting for the right time to let their real personality surface. They will have disguised themselves, their true personality, to avoid others from detecting who they really are. Again, the morphing will not be considered a “good” change, and these will probably be the most dangerous of the morphing individuals in a post-grid-down environment.
There will also be those that do morph into something better but this will be extremely rare. Example: some sheep will become sheepdogs, some sheepdogs may become shepherds.
Gang thug changed his life around.
Even an owner/master may repent, change their nature, and become a sheepdog or shepherd.
And yes, some herding dogs may even become sheepdogs. But rarely, herding dogs are simply too used to power, authority, and control of others; their lust for control is simply too strong to overcome.
I think all of those “betterment” morphings will be very rare, generally speaking. But within this category the primary change will be sheep into sheepdogs. This I believe will be due to the general good nature of many folks who are currently just going through life trying to do the right things such as being good parents and spouses, going to work, and watching out for neighbors.
I think that particular evolutionary personality type, sheep to sheepdog, may be more prominent than anticipated. Society today does everything it can to eliminate any sheepdog tendencies…in favor of simply being compliant sheep. Today’s Progressive, liberal, Democrat/Republican society wants sheep not sheepdogs, they want compliance not challenges. But the underlying goodness of many people will not be denied, many may become sheepdogs when needed…just don’t count on it being a widespread phenomena.
Interestingly, those same cabal people on the left, plus Republicans, coupled with the law & order freaks, want to develop herding 
dogs…as long as the herding dogs do their masters’ bidding and are controllable. When herding dogs step outside of that box then they become the enemy to be crushed…or at least “defunded.”
All that being said, hybrids, generally speaking, could be very dangerous to deal with because they are unpredictable and have the capacity to be extremely violent while implementing the element of surprise.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing –
We’ve all heard that expression before, and there is good reason for it. These types of people are readily prevalent in current daily life, and they will definitely be present, and even more apparent, in any post-apocalypse 
existence. First off, this will be a person that is well versed in deception, such as lying, deflection, and misdirection.
They may, and probably do, currently deceive those around them every day in their marriage, their work, their personal relationships, their religious/church life, and/or their interactions with people in general. They are probably going to be business people, especially sales people, also government workers and politicians.
The key ingredient that keeps them from surfacing quickly as a predator is their potential lack of power or lacking in confidence, in successfully getting away with openly predatory behavior in today’s society.
In a post grid-down scenario that lack of power could come in the form of lack of support from people (i.e. weak group, or lack of respect) or lack of resources (i.e. food, weapons, etc.). It boils down to they just don’t have enough 
“juice” at first. They may, and probably will, recognize that fact and bide their time as they acquire enough power and resources to attempt a successful morph. Only then they would feel confident that they are ready to make their move against fellow flock members. Consequently, this person will likely try to keep a low profile to ensure not being easily or quickly identified too soon. They know that if they are identified too soon, before they had/have sufficient power, that they would suffer retribution or punishment. They won’t want to risk their current situation/status until they feel they have a high probability of success.
This person will be the one that most likely steals from an individual family or the group they belong to.
Bradley Stone & wife – less than 1 year before he killed her and 5 other family members.
They will be capable of selling out (betraying) their own patrol to an enemy force if they think there is sufficient reward for doing so (i.e. acquiring status in a new, more powerful, group). They will most likely be identified only after a period of time where a number of the individual’s acts can finally be connected to crimes or betrayals.
This is a very dangerous individual because they will keep escalating their types of crimes until they are forcibly stopped. This person could well be a rapist and/or abuser. And they will also stop at nothing to avoid being caught or punished. This most likely would be a person that would kill sheepdogs and shepherds to avoid being held accountable.
Wolf masquerading as a SheepDog –
Within a group there is a very real possibility that a “wolf” could masquerade as a sheepdog. In this case they will portray themselves as powerful and not to be trifled with. They will be both defensive and aggressive, 
appearing to be a strong Type A personality, above reproach, and not to be challenged.
Watch for signs of them making lewd and inappropriate comments about members of the opposite sex. They are most likely to be males and come from a profession where they had power, virtually unquestioned authority. If a particular “wolf in sheepdog’s clothing” is a law enforcement person, they probably had a history of citizen complaints against them, including sexual harassment and/or “use of force” complaints. They may also hide behind religion. They may appear as a “defender of the faith” and criticizing/condemning a person as not being religious enough, or not agreeing with their version of religious beliefs. In this particular situation think…”Taliban-like” behavior.
This is a very dangerous person and a very dangerous situation for a number of reasons. First, they probably 
have some competent skills…especially if they come from a law enforcement or military background. Second, they understand tactics and the advantage of timing. Thirdly, they understand, and are probably very good, at social engineering; meaning they know how to manipulate people.
Do not underestimate the potential danger from these types of people. While still under the guise of being a sheepdog they can get people to lower their guard making it easier to take advantage of them when the time is right for their true purposes. The same thing could be said when applied to the entire group…they let their guard down collectively.
Once this person is discovered they are even more dangerous and the situation is particularly volatile. The now exposed wolf will try to maintain their false persona at all costs. Failing that, they will lash out, probably violently so. Due to this propensity to commit extreme violence and their skills do so so, they must be dealt with quickly and decisively. They will likely be irredeemable due to their exaggerated ego, narcissism, and view of self aggrandizement; in other words…no humility. They almost assuredly see the situation as “survival of the fittest”…their survival.
A herding dog masquerading as a SheepDog –
This could be a very hard, probably the hardest, situation to recognize. These two types dogs are very similar and appear to have the same goal, protecting the flock. But the herding dog’s desire and 
intent is to “control” the flock more than protect it.
A herding dog that is hiding in the guise of a sheepdog will probably complain about the lack of discipline within the group, lack of use of force, lack of weapons, lack of ammunition, or lack of offensive tactics/actions, etc. They will likely promote more use of force, especially when dealing with external threats. They will likely volunteer for the more dangerous tasks/missions or where violence would most likely be used or required.
They can come from a military background, but normally not a successful, respected, or rewarding career in the military. The most probable of backgrounds would be troubled law enforcement personnel. A person who felt underappreciated and/or underutilized in their military or law enforcement role.
Most law enforcement personnel, by a large margin, currently are herding dogs; some very aggressively so.
Cop brutally kicks handcuffed woman.
The law enforcement personnel that will normally be the most aggressive will tend to be younger, 20’s & early 30’s, or older late 50’s+ towards the end of their career. Currently and post grid-down they will tend to be single, muscular from strenuous physical training and/or steroid use. The steroid users will be the most dangerous subset of this group due to the resulting and increased aggression from steroids’ chemical makeup.
Law enforcement personnel are trained in, and function daily in, an unquestioned/unchallenged authority system. And they expect instant compliance from those they deal with in daily life…comply or die…comply or at least get beat-up really good.
They are also used to large supporting systems (i.e. fellow officers, courts, other agencies, unions, etc.) to back them up regardless of the situation. Subsequently, they will most likely expect unquestioned support from the flock and leadership regardless of their actions. This group of personality types will be very susceptible to being influenced by an owner/master or wolf hiding among the flock. They will gravitate to them because they crave and respect power and authority…and they are willing to “fit in” with that tougher crowd (brotherhood), including committing violence. They will strongly desire to once again operate within their previous environment of power and authority, while being respected…or at least feared.
San Antonio police Officer Jackie Neal, 11 year veteran police officer, was in uniform and on-duty when he groped, handcuffed and raped a teenager.
All the while they will be thinking and saying their actions are for the good of the flock, that they know best, their actions are to protect and serve. This individual can be extremely dangerous and vicious if confronted and challenged, especially if punishment/discipline is attempted. Once this “herding dog” person is exposed and challenged they will become very defensive and susceptible to wolf morphing. If the group continues trying to hold them accountable, this personality type can become extremely dangerous and violent…a huge singular threat to the flock. Their greatest threat may come from them feeling betrayed…as that may force them to seek another group/flock…and then lash out at the former group/flock as retribution.
An owner/master in sheep’s clothing –
This person is similar to a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and must be watched for with great vigilance.
This person can be very dangerous overall to the group in many forms. Left unchecked, they will think that
Nice family!
whatever power-grabbing scheme they are hatching is working if they just do it long enough. They will feel certain that they can achieve their goal of becoming an owner/master no matter who stands in their way or what they do in the process.
One key indicator will be they will tend to be a primary or regular source of conflict. Not a “complaining” type of conflict nor assertively offering alternatives. But these people will be more playing one person off against another in order to create doubt in people’s minds of someone, probably the group leader.
In others words…regularly creating conflict against or between people, especially leadership.Think of the term “playing politics” or “playing mind games” to get a better understanding of this personality.
This person is likely to lay low with the sheep until they can put together a sufficient power base and then they will move against existing leadership. They may try to gain some control over, or at least associate with, herding dogs so they can have an opportunity to identify current or potential allies.
Charles Manson years later. This “not so nice family” brutally killed 7 people.
They would then use deception, promises of power and other rewards to lure current or potential herding dogs into doing their bidding. Once a latent owner/master has established himself, he is likely to attempt (and succeed in) surrounding himself with herding dogs, or “wannabe” herding dogs. He may also be successful in attracting some “wolves in sheep’s clothing” as well. But this is likely to only occur should he appear to have a high probability of maintaining and growing his power.
Herding dogs won’t want to be on the losing side of group dynamics. And anyone he allies himself with will only be “tools” for him to use…then discarded as needed/required.
The “wolves in sheep’s clothing” would most likely be his “secret weapon”, kept hidden while doing his dirty work for him, such as creating additional group conflict. That would be different than his use of herding dogs which he would use as tools of intimidation. Once found out, a latent or rising owner/master is not likely to willingly give up his power base…or give up his quest for power and leadership.
They may feign a “surrender” move or appear repentant if needed, but it will only be a deception to buy him more time to grow stronger and improve his chances of success later…and to avoid discipline or punishment.
Once a latent owner/master makes a move against existing leadership he will be hard to deal with. This will be true due to his knowing he will likely only have one real chance to establish himself as the new leader and absorb the associated power. He will place all of his efforts and resources into play once he makes his move.
Watch for a hidden/secret resource he keeps in reserve to be his “stop gap” or “last resort” option…kinda like an “October surprise” in politics. But this hidden/reserve resource will be one capable of almost unchecked violence.
Hybrid Summary –
In the last post on this subject I went over identifying post-disaster personality types in today’s world by occupation and personality signs. Being able to recognize the potential typical personality types is important to good Situational Awareness (SA). It is even more important to know about the “hybrids” and the danger associated with them. Don’t be blind-sided…be informed and aware…be ready.
Healthy inter-personal relationships are difficult in normal times for hybrids; they will become exponentially 
more so when you are talking post-disaster. If we are talking TEOTWAWKI it will be difficult to figure out who these people really are and what they are capable of. The reason being is our normal personal and societal boundaries, limitations, rules and morals will be absent post grid-down for the most part, whether in actuality or only perception.
You, as well as all those in your family and/or group, will need to be hyper-vigilant in assessing people on a regular basis, especially “new-comers.” Become familiar with the signs and symptoms of sociopaths and psychopaths…then don’t ignore them or rationalize them when spotted in a member of your group…or another group you interact with.
You will have to establish baseline behaviors for each person and then watch for deviations from that baseline. Situational Awareness of people, including your own people, will have to be spot-on to recognize deviant behavior. Or you may suffer by missing signs that could point to personality shifts (a.k.a. morphing). Worse yet, you could miss the signs that a person falls within one of the dangerous hybrids mentioned above to begin with. Be careful, very careful.
< Previous Article – Next Article in this Series >
All Articles in this Series –
Related Articles –
2009 - 2023 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved
No reproduction or other use of this content
without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
See Content Use Policy for more information.
Please make sure you have read the first four parts to this series of articles:
For those of you that are sheep, I would strongly suggest you find a shepherd and get to know them well and join whatever organization they are currently leading; most probably a church. As a sheep you can be productive and useful, you are good people, but only in the right group can you also be safe and happy. Consider taking the training to become a sheepdog. You probably have the capability inside you, it just needs to be nurtured and developed. At the very least…you become a better equipped sheep to deal with wolves.
For those of you that are currently herding dogs I would suggest you change your ways. You may not even realize that you are a herding dog, you may think you are a sheepdog. Please review the articles or assess yourself based on what you feel is right…your morals and ethics. But herding dogs have a hard time realizing who they are. It is tough looking in the mirror and making that call.
Constitution and Bill of Rights as a hindrance to doing your job you are probably a herding dog. If you think criminal defense lawyers are scumbags you are probably on thin ice. As an LEO, if all you worry about it overtime and retirement then you are for sure a herding dog. If you enjoy pulling people over for traffic tickets and enjoy DUI checkpoints then you are probably a herding dog. If you are “badge heavy” you better take a hard look at yourself, there is no doubt you are a herding dog.
If you don’t know that you are a sheepdog, that is OK. When the crap hits the fan some sheep will turn into sheepdogs because deep down inside they have been a sheepdog all along and there just was no opportunity for that to come out in today’s world in some notable or heroic way.
If you are a politician and the grid goes down just shut-up and become a sheep. No one wants to hear any of your crap! It is probably your fault that got us into the mess to begin with. Once a politician, always a politician. And politicians, all politicians, suck!
you. For sheepdogs to do their jobs to the best of their ability…they need you, a shepherd, to be leading the flock.
A.H. Trimble - Emergency preparedness information for disasters and grid-down 