Sex and Stories (SnS)

Survivalism posits a potentially disappointing answer to the great philosophical question, "why are we here?" The answer has two parts, Sex and Stories (referred to throughout as SnS). The essential function of the human being is to provide more human beings, a conclusion arrived at simply because it is the one thing which if absolutely nobody did would cause what we call a "mass extinction," generally viewed as unfavorable when the species in question is us.

The second function, however, is more likely to cause confusion. The immediate rebuttal likely from a parent might include arguments surrounding the provision of food and shelter. However, such provisions are always meant to be temporary. In other words, every spoonful of mashed peas, every shopping trip prior to school pictures, every ride to school when a bus has been missed, and every payment made on a child's behalf happens on the pretext that this is only until the child learns to do these things on their own, without parental intervention. And the method through which we impart these lessons is in ALL cases: stories.

More specifically, even complex ideas are taught as individual pieces of information which happen to form a larger picture. Each "piece" is just one simple fact. These can be very broad, such as the idea that when it is raining you should carry an umbrella, or quite specific, for example how much pressure a surgeon is to place when using a certain instrument during a particular procedure at a certain time of day, with a long list of even further conditions, or if/then statements. And while these pieces (facts) can be acquired by simply hearing or reading them, the spoken or written language is closing much of the gap between our brains and that information for us. First of all this engages only one sense at a time, leaving the rest uninspired. Second, it makes us feel less intelligent (affirmed) than if we had arrived at those conclusions ourselves, and therefore less likely to retain them.

In other words, if you read in a book that George Washington crossed the Delaware River on December 25, 1776, you may remember it for some time. However if you watch a compelling historical drama in which his family is depicted in their home surrounded by meager Christmas decorations having a conversation about their concerns for his safety and for the future of the country, you are much more likely to retain the information. Why? Because you did not just read letters or hear a description, you at once saw and heard the events play out, and were drawn in to make emotional connections with figures who were previously nothing more to you than letters on paper.