Episode

"Your Supplies Probably Won’t Be Stolen in a Disaster" by jefftk

Podcast
LessWrong (Curated & Popular)
Published
Apr 24, 2026
Duration seconds
233
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https://www.buzzsprout.com/2037297/episodes/19069013-your-supplies-probably-won-t-be-stolen-in-a-disaster-by-jefftk.mp3
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https://www.buzzsprout.com/2037297/episodes/19069013-your-supplies-probably-won-t-be-stolen-in-a-disaster-by-jefftk.mp3
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Summary

When I write about things like storing food or medication in case of disaster, one common response I get is that it doesn't matter: society will break down, and people who are stronger than you will take your stuff. This seemed plausible at first, but it's actually way off. Looking at past disasters, people mostly fall somewhere on a "kind and supportive" to "keep to themselves" spectrum. When there is looting it's typically directed at stores, not homes, and violence is mostly...