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I started reading that pdf file and by the time it listed reasons for a breakdown in civility, it sounded like what I have written over and over. The authors of this book are considered “experts” - I am considered an “expert” by 33,502 hits on the prepper articles I write for Survival Podcast.

But, I am actually a failure in the minds of my son and two close relatives as they discount anything I say about prepping so I don't discuss it with them anymore - I would if they ask. I wonder if the “experts” who wrote this book are the same kind of failures in the minds of some close to them? I wonder if Kartographer is a failure with some of his family and close friends?

Our failure to be experts among family and close friends is as Mark Twain and Will Rogers explained experts:

Mark Twain defined an expert as “an ordinary fellow from another town”.

Will Rogers described an expert as “A man fifty miles from home with a briefcase.”

What Twain and Rogers stated is true and that's a sad fact. There are many people across this country who have printed every article I've written and put them in their emergency preparedness documents. My family members haven't read one thing I have written about prepping. I have not helped them one bit. I am too close to them for their consideration. If I had a different name and was from another location, they wouldn't have turned me completely off before reading at least one article. These family members know I'm really smart, smarter than they are, they will easily admit that, it's no big deal, but they stop right there, not wanting to know anything I know.

If you really know a subject, know more than most people about it, you could be considered an expert away from where you live but it's much more difficult to be considered an expert to the people who live around you and know you.

What about you? Have you encountered this problem in a field where you are an expert?

As for my family, I have stored extra for them but they don't know that. They see items stored in my house and have no idea what they are for and they never ask - they evidently don't want to know. My sister-in-law did ask one time, (only this time did she ask about anything), what a certain smallish box was for and I told her it was 100 gallons of good water. She ended up wanting one and I got it for her for Christmas.

Are you an expert about anything? Are you like Rodney Daingerfield (and me) - “I get no respect.” :o)