The Myth of the Lone Wolf

America has a long tradition of rugged individualism and self-sufficiency, both in reality and entertainment. Our nation was founded by settlers who hacked their way through the wilderness with their own two hands, and we are entertained by John Wick single-handedly wiping out hundreds of bad guys because they killed his dog. 

We admire the rugged hero

Until the early 20th Century, most Americans lived without a lot of reliance on governments except at the most local level. As American communities grew and jobs and industries became more specialized, self-reliance became less necessary for survival.

It’s no wonder, then, the image of the tough loner has made its way into our lore, radio, cinema and TV, where the lone wolf saves the day at the end of the movie, often at great personal cost, including John Wick.

The upside to being a lone wolf

Hollywood “cool” aside, there are several reasons why being a lone wolf survivalist makes sense. For people who prefer isolation or have no wish or desire to interact with others, staying apart from a group can be a good thing, especially once group politics get started. There are other reasons to eschew being part of a group: 

• You only have one mouth to feed
• Groups make more noise than a single person
• Smaller physical footprint, so easier to remain hidden/unnoticed
• You control everything 
• You don’t have to share any gear or supplies

But being a lone wolf is a bad idea

The idea of being a solitary survivor, beholden to no one, has some appeal. But it isn’t sustainable long term. The age of the lone mountain man has long passed, and one’s ability to forage, hunt, or otherwise eek out living in a country of more than 330 million people will be difficult, especially if you’re not already in a remote location. 

Even if only fifty percent of inhabitants survived, the 168 million remaining are still more than twice the population of the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century. And if you’re not contending with millions of others vying for limited resources, you’ve got these other reasons why being a lone wolf is the wrong path to follow beyond a very short timespan:

• Security – you’ve got to sleep sometime
• One vs. many – easy to get overrun
• Injuries or illness – who will patch you up if/when you can’t do it yourself?
• Can’t know how to do everything
• If you have to bug out from your hidey-hole, you can only carry so much. All the gear and goods in the world is irrelevant if you have to leave your location
• If your ultimate bug out location is out of state, you’re not going to make it
• Difficult to procreate

Why community is good

Man is a social creature, so gathering in like-minded groups comes naturally. In addition to having friends and acquaintances, there are several good reasons that having a community working toward common goals is worth having:

• Security – safety in numbers
• Division of labor – you can ensure that nothing falls through the cracks
• Expertise – lots of people can bring lots of experience and knowledge
• Can work toward rebuilding society
• You can thrive, not just survive
• Interaction with others

“And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” — Ecclesiastes 4:12 

What type of community do you want to build?

Building a successful community requires participation and input from all members. Only you can determine the reasons for joining a community, but figuring out those reasons is the first step. People generally join groups and clubs to: 

• Meet new people
• Learn new skills
• Have a group of people they can count on
• Sharing common interests with others
• Sense of belonging

The people in your group might be relatives or family, but they don’t have to be. They could be your neighbors, co-workers or attend the same house of worship you do. They do, however, need to be like-minded in their goals and values. Is your group more social or do you want it to be survival oriented or perhaps a combination of the two? 

For example, if the group is more socially oriented for networking, fun, or similar activities, having someone who is a hard-core prepper might not make sense.  Similarly, if your group strongly values freedom, having someone who called authorities over people not wearing masks during the pandemic is not a good idea; if they turned in someone for that, they may turn in someone for firearms they believe are bad.  

Building a community can be a challenge, but a very rewarding one. Your community’s goals, makeup, size, and structure is up to you. Find your community and build with them. Being a lone wolf is cool in movies, but even John Wick relied on the help of others.