Please make sure you have read the first three parts to this series of articles:

• Part 1 – Who are they?
• Part 2 – How to Identify Them In Today’s World
• Part 3 – The Hybrids

WARNING! – If any of you are reading this and you are an owner/master in sheep’s clothing just waiting for the right opportunity post-disaster to emerge and make a power play know this…you will be found out. And when you are found out you won’t like the way you are dealt with. People will not tolerate evil, and owner/masters are evil…current or latent.

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, 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 judge 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. It all boils down to attitude and who you are professionally doing that job for. If you say to yourself or others “Hey, I have to go home to my family at the end of the day.” Or “Hey I’m just doing my job.” Or “They are dirt bags and deserve it.” Or “I’m just following orders.” Or you look at everyone with suspicion, or believe that “stop & frisk” is a great police tactic. Or you think Civil Asset Forfeiture laws are great police tools…then you better question yourself.

If you look at the 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. 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. You might think that you will make a great sheepdog…well, don’t count on it. You will probably be even more of a herding dog…or wolf…post-SHTF.  And the worst of it, you will think you, as a herding dog, are doing a great service to the flock that you are part of.

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. If you want to become a sheepdog, then go find one and do what he does. Let him mentor you and guide you. Although he may be reluctant to do so due to his humility.

If you are a predator your days are numbered. Sheepdogs will not tolerate any attack on the flock…and we will eliminate you. You will lose…quickly, maybe later…but eventually you will lose.

If you are a hybrid you better think twice, change your ways because sheepdogs won’t tolerate you for very long. You will either forsake your evil ways or sheepdogs will stop you.

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 suck!

Same goes for an owner/master – we will stop you one way or another. It is best you try and change your ways now. But you won’t, your ego won’t let you. But sheepdogs will stop you when the time comes. Period!  Look for them, they will stop you. You should be afraid but you won’t be; your ego is just too huge.

If you are a sheepdog, don’t do anything, you don’t have to. You have your own sense of self-worth and feeling of accomplishment in this world and the one to come. Thank you!

If you are a shepherd you are a very blessed person and one who deserves a lot of thanks and appreciation. There are very very few of you. We need more. Those that are sheepdogs are looking for you. For sheepdogs to do their jobs to the best of their ability…they need you, a shepherd, to be leading the flock.

I hope this has been of some value to you giving you a perspective that maybe you haven’t considered before. If you would like to comment or discuss I would love to hear from you.

Thank you to all those in my life that have helped me to understand people and personalities.

2009 - 2019 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.

note: edited/updated July 2019

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.

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.  This morphing will generally not be to the betterment of the person. 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.  Again, not considered a “good” change.

There will also be those that do morph into something better, some sheep will become sheepdogs. Some sheep may become shepherds.  Even a owner/master may repent and become a sheepdog or shepherd. And yes, some herding dogs may even become sheepdogs…but rarely, they are simply too used to power and authority. But I think those changes will be rare with the exception of sheep into sheepdogs. I think that particular evolutionary personality type may be more prominent than anticipated.  Society today does everything it can to train and breed out any sheepdog tendencies. Today’s Progressive, liberal, Democrat/Republican society wants sheep not sheepdogs. But the underlying goodness of many men will not be denied, they may well become sheepdogs when needed.

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.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing. We’ve all heard that expression before, there is a reason for it. These types of people are readily prevalent in daily life, and they will definitely be there, and even more apparent, in any post-disaster life. This will be a person that is well versed in deception. They deceive regularly every day in their marriage, their work, their personal relationships, and 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 lack of power or confidence in successfully getting away with predatory behavior. That lack of power can come in the form of lack of support from people or lack of resources (i.e. food, weapons, etc.). It boils down to they just don’t have enough “juice” at first.  They may recognize that fact and bide their time as they acquire their power and sufficient resources.  Only then they would feel confident that they are ready to make their move against flock members. This person will likely try to keep a low profile to ensure not being easily or quickly identified. They know that if they were identified before they had/have sufficient power that they would suffer retribution.  This person will be the one that steals from an individual family or the group.

Bradley Stone & wife – picture taken 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. They will most likely be identified only after a period of time where a number of their 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 will likely be a rapist. And they will also stop at nothing to avoid being caught or punished. This would be a person that would kill sheepdogs and shepherds to avoid being held accountable.

Also, there is a very real possibility that one of the “wolves” could masquerade as 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. 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 sheep’s clothing” is a law enforcement person, they probably had a history of citizen complaints against them, including sexual harassment complaints. They may also hide behind religion. They may appear as a “defender of the faith” and criticizing/condemning a person not being religious enough, or not agreeing with their version of beliefs. In this particular situation think…Taliban-like behavior.

A herding dog masquerading as a sheepdog.  This could be a very hard situation to recognize. The two types of 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 that protect. A herding dog that is hiding in the guise of a sheepdog will probably complain about the lack of discipline, lack of use of force, or lack of weapon or ammunition, or lack of action, etc. They will likely promote more use of force, especially when dealing with external threats. They will likely volunteer for the more the dangerous tasks or where violence would most likely be used or required. They can come from a military background, but not a successful or rewarding career in the military. The most probable of backgrounds would be troubled law enforcement personnel.

Most law enforcement personnel, by a large margin, currently are herding dogs; some very aggressively so.  They will tend to be younger, 20’s & 30’s or older late 50’s+.  They will tend to be single, muscular from strenuous physical training and steroid use. The steroid users will be the most dangerous subset of this group due to the resulting and increased aggression from steroid usage. Law enforcement personnel are trained in, and function in, an unquestioned authority system. And they expect instant compliance from those they deal with in daily life. They are also used to large supporting systems (i.e. courts, other agencies, unions, etc.) to back them up regardless of the situation. 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 a 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 commit violence to reacquire it.

All the while they will be thinking and saying they are doing it for the good of the flock, that they know best, it is to protect and serve. This individual can be extremely dangerous and vicious if confronted and challenged, or punishment is attempted. Once this person is exposed they will become very defensive and susceptible to latent owner/masters 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.

A 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. Left unchecked they will think that whatever power-grabbing scheme they are hatching is working.  They will feel certain that they can achieve their goal of becoming an owner/master. One key indicator will be they will tend to be a primary or constant source of conflict. Not a “complaining” type of conflict or 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 else, probably the group leader. In others words…regularly creating conflict against or between people. This person is likely to lay low with the sheep until they can put together a sufficient power base and then move against existing leadership. They may try to gain some control over the sheep/herding dogs so they can have an opportunity to identify current or potential herding dogs. They would then use deception and promises of power/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 succeeding in) surrounding himself with herding dogs. He may also be successful 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.

The “wolves” would most likely be his “secret” weapon kept hidden while doing his dirty work for him. 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 leadership. He may feign that move if needed, but it will only be a deception to buy him more time to grow stronger and improve his chances of success later. Once a latent owner/master makes a move against existing leadership he will be hard to deal with; he will know he will likely only have one real chance to establish himself as the new leader. He will place all of his efforts and resources into play once he makes his move. Watch for a hidden resource he keeps in reserve to be his “stop gap” or “last resort” option.

Hybrid Summary –

For hybrids healthy inter-personal relationships are difficult in normal times; 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, 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.” 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 recognizing deviant behavior.  Or you may suffer missing signs that could point to personality shifts. Worse yet, you could miss the signs that a person falls within one of the three dangerous hybrids mentioned above.

2009 - 2019 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.

note: edited/updated July 2019

Second post in a 4-parts series. Make sure you read yesterday’s post to more fully understand today’s post.

So how exactly do you identify who in a post-collapse is what type of person in today’s world?

Well, not real hard in some situations but it can be challenging and very tricky in others. So it is best to start with what type of person is now as to what they are likely to be when the stuff hits the fan.

Yes, this is generalizing people in broad categories; while in reality each person is different and unique.  Not all people may fit these generalized descriptions, but it is a starting place.  Here is a good start on identifying folks and what they look like today to know what they will look like in “grid-down”…

Sheep – This category will be the largest category of people, I am thinking upwards of 80%, maybe more, of all people. This is a pretty easy category to recognize now. Almost to a person those that will become sheep are the basic liberals and Democrats; anyone who is a big supporter of the government (that includes most Republicans and Conservatives). Obviously, anyone who currently receives government handouts will continue that mentality and expect to continue to receive those handouts…disaster or not. Also, this category will contain almost all of your neighbors, fellow church and community members. Virtually all academics (all grade levels, including college professors) and many doctors are in this category. Some people, such as doctors and academics, may start out thinking they are herding dogs or owner/masters, maybe even sheepdogs. But will soon be relegated to sheep status due to lack of survival skills and proper preparations. So don’t let current profession or academic status fool you.

The sheep are not a bad thing!  Sheep can be very productive after a disaster has hit because there are plenty of tasks and chores that need done; sheep are perfectly capable of performing work.  They can also perform supervisory responsibilities.  But do not expect the sheep to stand up on their own to defend themselves or others, for the most part it is simply beyond their capability. These “sheep” are your fellow citizens and probably family members as well. And….regardless…if you are a sheperd or sheepdog you have some responsibility to care for sheep.

Predators (wolves) – This is also a fairly large category of folks, probably somewhere in the 10% range. They are also likely to be easily recognized. They are low-lifes now and will be low-lifes post-disaster.  They are the criminals of today with rare exception. One notable exception will be someone who is otherwise a “sheep” in today’s world but sees the benefit of being a predator once it becomes clear that it gives them power.  There are far more male predators than female predators. But the true Alpha or Beta female predators are seriously dangerous and ruthless. Sexual predators abound…even dressed in Dockers. They try to leverage their resources to take advantage of people for physical gratification. However, should trickery not work they will resort to outright violence to get their sexual gratification and other needs met.

Herding Dogs – This is a somewhat tricky category due to their close resemblance to sheepdogs. This category represents about a 2 – 4% of the population.  Herding dogs will generally be Type A personalities but not strong leaders. They are more likely to be along the lines of a Beta male/females in today’s world. Many military, current and former, will probably fall into this category. Same would be true for law enforcement officers. Position in the food chain will not usually determine herding dog status or not. For instance, a deputy sheriff from a small county department is more likely to not be a herding dog, but a sheepdog. Whereas, LEOs from large police departments and state LEO agencies, or any all federal agencies, will almost certainly be herding dogs.

These folks attempt to sound noble and will probably be very convincing but their herding instincts are there and can be seen in their current daily jobs/activities. Those negative herding traits usually display themselves quickly when dissent is voiced or their authority is challenged. Herding dogs will not tolerate having their authority challenged, especially by anyone they see as a sheep. By default they do not like sheepdogs due to the sheepdogs’ closer relationship with and dedication to the sheep. The loyalty of sheepdogs is also seen as an inferior trait by herding dogs.

Herding dogs try and control sheepdogs by whatever current authority they have. Herding dogs respond to command authority in today’s world, readily accept being told what to do, and rarely (if ever) question authority. They will only feel secure and safe when they are in control of the situation and in control of others. A common way to identify a herding dog is to listen for, “Hey I don’t make the laws I just enforce them.” or “I was just following orders.” Both statements show intense weakness of character and lack of ethics.

SheepDogs – This can be a tricky category of folks to identify in today’s world. Sheepdogs are a very small percentage of today’s population; maybe less than 1%, maybe much less. Failing to recognize sheepdogs in today’s world is due mostly to two reasons; 1) many sheepdogs in today’s world are low-profile, you simply don’t see them act as a sheepdog, 2) some of today’s herding dogs are actually sheepdogs but that sheepdog characteristic won’t manifest itself until the “owner/master” of today disappears after grid-down. Some sheepdogs in today’s world are looked at by sheep as “extremists”, “nuts”, “kooks”, “tea party members” or similar labels. Some sheepdogs are seen as, and labeled as, “heroes.”

Liberals and Democrats in general hate the concept of sheepdogs because they embrace, and far prefer, herding dogs. Liberals, democrats, and republicans love sheep, they want everyone to be sheep with the exception of herding dogs (if they can control them). And yes, some liberals and Democrats, and most Republicans, see themselves in the roles of herding dogs and owner/masters; all Progressives do…99.999% of politicians do as well. And that is why they have a natural enmity towards sheepdogs.

Most sheepdogs will keep to themselves until they are needed. Not always, but normally, they are the person helping to change a tire on the side of the interstate, they are the person carrying groceries for an old lady, they are the ones helping mow an elderly neighbor’s grass or shoveling the snow off their walks. The reason I said “not always” is because predators will use those acts of apparent kindness and helpfulness as a tactic to engage potential prey (i.e. social engineering). The difference is a sheepdog does it because it is the right thing to do, a herding dog does it because he was trained, or told, to do it.  And a predator does it because it is a way to gain access to prey.

Owner/Masters – This is an easily identifiable group in today’s world. Mostly they are politicians, community leaders, media celebrities and heads of businesses (mostly large corporations). They tend to be rich and include all of the country’s elite old-money families, and most of the new-money families as well. However, they can also be low-level bureaucrats and mid-level government employees. These are people who currently have some authority and feel they are entitled to special treatment and especially being able to control others.

For the most part:

• They expect special treatment; most of the time they demand it.
• They are used to having their way, either through paying for it or intimidating for it.
• They feel that they are superior in intellect and capability to everyone else.
• They generally drive the fancy cars, live in expensive big house, and take extravagant vacations.
• They lust for power and money; and want as much of both as they can acquire.

With some exceptions doctors and academics will start out in this category but will soon find themselves lumped in with the sheep. Probably the largest identifiable group of people in today’s world that will become owner/masters are some military leaders, some law enforcement leadership, and most of all – politicians at the federal and state level. Many politicians at the local levels will be in the category but by a smaller relative percentage compared to federal and state politicians.

Generally, these folks already have a power base of one kind or another. They actively engage in expanding their existing power base any possible way they can…usually through money. One of the “groups” that are the most dangerous are unions, particularly unions that have been known for violence such as teamsters, miners, and pipe-fitters…to a lesser degree public employee and police.

Shepherds – This is the rarest of person in today’s life and especially after “grid-down” has occurred. They are a small fraction of 1% of the population Most people will be mainly concerned with survival and that means securing resources and power. Shepherds are not interested in either. They focus, almost exclusively, is and will be protection of a flock. There will be no desire to be exalted above the sheep, any indication to the contrary will indicate that you are actually dealing with an owner/master NOT a shepherd. Shepherds will recognize sheepdogs and appreciate them and be grateful for their support. Shepherds also are generally able to recognize herding dogs and the inherent danger they present. Shepherds most likely try to convert herding dogs into sheepdogs. They will probably be successful to some degree in this and exhibit great patience in this effort.

The archenemy of the shepherd is the owner/master. If a latent owner/master is a member of the shepherd’s flock they will probably do one of two things; 1) make a play to unseat the shepherd from their leadership position, 2) try to bring in outside influence or bargain with a neighboring owner/master to overthrow the shepherd.

Shepherds’ behaviors and action should never be confused with any form of cowardice. A shepherd will be ferocious in defending the flock and will do anything within moral and ethical bounds to do so. A shepherd who has been a sheepdog, especially a trained sheepdog, is especially competent and able to defend the flock. A shepherd must be cautious with their own ego and desires. Should a shepherd begin to place his own needs and wants above the welfare and needs of the flock they can quickly slip over into the category of owner/master. And they will likely turn into a very capable and brutal owner/master since the moral and ethical foundation will have been removed. Rare (extremely) will be the shepherd who converts to an owner/master.

2009 - 2019 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.

note: edited/updated July 2019

Have you ever given much thought to the type of people there will be after an emergency or disaster occurs?

I have, and better yet over the last 40 years through my work as a first responder I have seen them first hand. I’ve also worked with them.

And even better yet, have you ever thought much about what label to put on people after a “grid-down” event? Yup, right again, I have. And that is the point of this series of posts – What kind of people will there be after “grid-down.”

Maybe a more fair question would be…How people act now influences how they will act after grid-down?

Based on what I’ve seen firsthand I have put a lot of thought into this unique phenomena and how it might affect survival. I mean, come on, the biggest threat you will face after a “grid-down” will be violence. But violence will come from people. So you have to understand people to understand the violence part.

I believe the “types” of people will breakdown into a short list of categories:

• sheep,
• shepherds,
• predators (wolves),
• sheepdogs,
• owners/masters,
• herding dogs.

The trick is trying to figure out which category people fit into and who is the most dangerous. Based on that challenge I did a little reflection on my experience with emergencies and disasters and how people acted during them. Then I compared it back to what I knew of them before the emergency or disaster. That way I think we can make some general assumptions of what people are like now and project/guesstimate what kind of people they may become, or how they will act, after grid-down.

Let me describe what I think are the personality attributes of people after grid-down:

Sheep – These are the folks are easily identified, they are the folks who are basically lost, unprepared, and having no clue what to do.  Or they may be folks that are prepared in many ways but not prone to be leaders. Either way, they will be seeking assistance, direction, and leadership. They will start out benignly and humbly requesting help of any kind and will wait for someone to take care of them and their family. They will not be able to take care of themselves and will panic easily. They will also be easily manipulated and controlled. They will have a breaking point. But by then, most will be mostly useless (unless constantly led) and of little threat or danger. A small percentage of this group will become dangerous and must be considered as such in direct proportion to their capability to be so. Example: access to weapons. Their greatest weakness will be Normalcy Bias.  Many will be useful, they will be good people who just didn’t have it together in terms of preparedness…or unable to be leaders in their own right..  These sheep can become productive resources in the right group setting with strong and constant leadership.

Predators (wolves) – These folks are also easy to spot. They will typically be armed and demanding. They will prey on anyone that they can dominate or overwhelm by surprise, numbers, or superior power. They will have no scruples, morals, or ethical base. They will simply feel entitled to what others have that they themselves lack, or simply want. They will have no reservation to humiliate, hurt, maim, or kill. At first they will act fairly independently but will quickly form packs/tribes with a clear hierarchy that is strictly and violently enforced. Some wolves will have true predatory skills while others will be purely “posers” and “wannabes” trying to act the part. The later will be quickly crushed, and survivors probably assimilated, by the true predators. All predators will be dangerous regardless of their current weapon status. If lacking weapons they will use cunning, deception, and subterfuge to gain any weaponry they may need or want. Or lacking that level of finesse…they will simply take weaponry by any means available. For the most part their greatest weakness will be their Competency Bias. That will not be true for the upper level predators that will have skills, experience and intelligence. Hence, they will actually be competent…and deadly.

Sheepdogs – These are folks who will be prepared for emergencies and disasters. Although their level of preparedness will probably vary widely from minimal preparations to multiple-years worth of supplies and appropriate gear.  Some may only have their skills vs. supplies & gear but will quickly assume the role of sheepdog because of inherent desire and skills. These folks will be honest of heart and have a true desire to help and protect the sheep. The “help” may manifest itself in feeding, medical assistance, or protection. While sheepdogs may be reluctant to share their supply of food, they will always step up when sheep need to be protected. Sheepdogs have been known to attack large packs of predators even when highly out numbered and have given their lives to

protect the lives of their flock. Sheepdogs will be neighbors and community members that have a strong sense of family and duty. They will most likely be Christians and feel a God-given calling to help take care of people. Sheepdogs will be highly drawn to shepherds and allow themselves to be led by those shepherds that they trust. Sheepdogs will be naturally opposed to owner/masters and will rebel against them. Sheepdogs will generally be tolerant of herding dogs to a point. Sheepdogs will tend to feel that they can change a herding dog into a sheepdog with enough work and being a good example.  However, should a herding dog show too much aggression a sheepdog will not hesitate to attack a herding dog to defend the flock or the shepherd.

Herding Dogs – While superficially herding dogs might be appear to be sheepdogs, there is a significant difference. Sheepdogs live, eat, and sleep with the sheep; they are part of the flock.  Herding dogs work for the sheep’s owner/master and respond to their master’s commands. Those commands are given for a specific intention…to strictly to control the flock of sheep. The herding dogs circle the sheep and move them by acting much as a predator would; which in-turn makes the sheep respond to the non-verbal body language of the herding dog (i.e. threat of violence). A herding dog is actually a predator who is so highly trained that they won’t kill sheep (normally) but will not hesitate to “nip” (i.e. light bite) the back legs of the sheep. Herding dogs are also known for a game called “sheep tag.”  Herding dogs will run among the sheep biting them and then run

off.  To them, sheep are little more than “chew toys.” Herding dogs are not known for protecting a flock, they are there to control the flocks movement and behavior. And they don’t respond to the needs of the flock and rarely repel approaching predators on their own. They only respond to commands given to them by their master/owner.  Herding dogs will view sheepdogs with contempt and disgust. Herding dogs will see sheepdogs as beneath them in status. Herding dogs will view sheepdogs as lacking skills & intelligence and not living up to their potential. Herding dogs and sheepdogs will be natural opposites and will have open conflict with one another. Herding dogs may/can change allegiance from a flock to a violent pack of predators.  Should an owner/master not provide enough incentive (or strong enough leadership), a herding dog could be easily persuaded to join a predator pack who promises greater rewards. Should the right set of circumstances present itself, a herding dog could betray an entire flock to a predator pack. A herding dog sees sheep as just another animal, beneath them in status and not truly worthy of anything other than to be controlled.  They have virtually no allegiance to the sheep other than as a means to gain rewards from the owner/master.

Shepherds – These folks will be few and far between.  They are of high moral and ethical character. They will be leaders of sheep. They will also be the leaders of sheepdogs. They will have the ability to change some herding dogs into sheepdogs, but that will rarely occur due to the natural instincts of herding dogs. Shepherds will understand predators and not hate them. Shepherds will protect the flock from predators to the point of freely giving their lives. Shepherds will naturally draw sheepdogs to them. Sheepdogs will see the leadership and “goodness” in a shepherd and want to serve him while following their instinct of protecting the flock. The sheepdog will see that a shepherd frees them up to concentrate on what they do best – protection. Shepherds will “serve” their flock. The will make decisions that in the best interest of the flock and not for the gain of the shepherd himself…or for the benefit of sheepdogs. Shepherds will be those folks who will gain close-knit followings of sheep and sheepdogs who are committed to not just surviving, but thriving.  Some herding dogs will be drawn to shepherds but will rebel against the nature of the shepherd’s leadership, preferring to control the sheep vs. lead the sheep. For those of us that are believers, we have a great example in The Good Shepherd

Owner/masters – These folks will be those that have a sense of entitlement to leadership. They will feel it is their right, even their duty, to lead sheep. They will voice that they are doing their best to protect the sheep from harm and danger but their true intentions will simply be to control and manipulate. They will make decisions primarily serving their own gain. And any benefit to the flock will be secondary, even accidental. However, the owner/master will take great efforts to make the appearance of what they do is completely for the benefit of the flock. When pushed they will be ruthless with all members of the flock. They will have no trouble sacrificing flock members for their own gain or protection. They will be “pretty boys” and the like. They will use flowery speeches and quote learned men; they may even use scripture verses to justify what they do. But all that they do will be for their own benefit. Owner/masters will readily identify herding dogs and elevate the perceived status of herding dogs to control the flock…ruthlessly if they have to. They will reward herding dogs with special privileges such as food, liberties, and sexual partners. They will provide them with higher quality food, tools, weapons, and living accommodations. Additionally, the owner/master will provide a sense of “purpose” to the herding dogs. They will touch the herding dogs’ sense of duty and work ethic. They will manipulate the herding dog to think they are as noble as a sheepdog…maybe even superior.

An owner/master will naturally not like sheepdogs; they will see them as competition for leadership. They will see in sheepdogs everything that they, as owner/masters, are not. They will try and change sheepdogs into herding dogs. If that is not possible they will try and ostracize them. Should that fail, the owner/master will use whatever means necessary to remove the sheepdogs from the flock. And that will include an owner/master killing the sheepdog should the sheepdog be seen as a big enough threat by the owner/master.

So there are the basics of how I see people will fall into the basic post-disaster caste system. I have seen it on smaller-scale disasters (i.e. hurricanes, floods, wildfires, etc.) over the last 40 years or so and I have no reason to believe anything different would happen after a major “grid-down” experience. Actually, I think the likelihood of this caste system occurring increases in direction proportion to the scale of the disaster.

So what do you do with this information? Where is the value? What does it all mean?

It makes the difference between life and death in all probability. Yeah, that dramatic.

I wrote a series on Situational Awareness (SA) and this information on post-disaster types of people is directly related to good SA. If you don’t know what kind of people to expect then you are likely to get sucked into a bad situation or worse.  In the next post I will cover how to identify the different post-disaster personalities

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