I have to agree about the dentist! If my teeth ever start bothering me I'll go see someone about it right away, but otherwise? I think I'll be okay without access to modern healthcare. It might shorten my life, but I'm okay with that: the side effects of the medications the doctors prescribe can be brutal. Add to that the fact I'm allergic to several antibiotics, and I have to say I don't trust modern medicine too much.
The thing about collapsing now is that it allows for a lot of options which will not be available to people who have to frantically try to scramble to figure out how to survive. I'm fairly sure when crisis hits, a lot of the middle class will suddenly find themselves in a position where they have no skills and no income. Even if it doesn't, what'll happen instead is that slowly, one at a time, they'll lose their perks. One at a time meaning both slowly people will be forced out and for those who can cling to it, the perks will go away one at a time.
As for your last comment, I think that's the most important part: there is a better life after giving up on the middle class lifestyle. It may take years to get there, but it's out there, and it's simple to get to. I already like my life much better than the one I left. The drawbacks are not severe enough to outweigh the massive benefits, and this is true after less than two months. I have no idea where I'll be in ten years, but I'd much rather wherever this path takes me than where I was headed.
Re: Yes to all of this.
The thing about collapsing now is that it allows for a lot of options which will not be available to people who have to frantically try to scramble to figure out how to survive. I'm fairly sure when crisis hits, a lot of the middle class will suddenly find themselves in a position where they have no skills and no income. Even if it doesn't, what'll happen instead is that slowly, one at a time, they'll lose their perks. One at a time meaning both slowly people will be forced out and for those who can cling to it, the perks will go away one at a time.
As for your last comment, I think that's the most important part: there is a better life after giving up on the middle class lifestyle. It may take years to get there, but it's out there, and it's simple to get to. I already like my life much better than the one I left. The drawbacks are not severe enough to outweigh the massive benefits, and this is true after less than two months. I have no idea where I'll be in ten years, but I'd much rather wherever this path takes me than where I was headed.