What happens to our judgment when the feed decides our urgency? Keith takes us from cardboard fort summers and rotary phones to today’s algorithm-driven protests to show how growing up offline hardwired real self-reliance—and why that wiring still matters when the grid blinks. This is a story about quiet as a training ground, patience as a superpower, and the practical skills that turn anxiety into action when convenience disappears.
We revisit a free-range childhood where the streetlights were curfew, neighbors had their own tools, and learning meant skinned knuckles, not autoplay tutorials. Keith walks through the small mechanics of independence—changing a tire, fixing a tube, making plans without a text—and contrasts them with the speed and certainty of modern social media. He digs into how walkouts can scale in minutes, how influencers and celebrity takes manufacture outrage, and why it’s so easy to mistake viral for true when incentives reward heat over clarity. The point isn’t to bash technology; it’s to right-size it, so tools remain tools and we don’t become them.
You’ll hear practical ways to reclaim your attention and build a preparedness mindset: run no-phone drills, cook from pantry staples, navigate without apps, and practice one hands-on repair before you search a video. Keith also makes the case for family rhythms—shared meals, early mornings, focused work—as the quiet engine of grit. If the phone goes dark or systems wobble, the person who can think clearly, fix simply, and wait patiently becomes the anchor others seek.
If this resonates, share it with a friend who could use a nudge toward fewer crutches and more capability. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what’s one unplugged habit you’re committing to this week?
https://augasonfarms.com?sca_ref=9315862.VpHzogdDNu
Augason FarmsHave a question, suggestion or comment? Please email me at practicalpreppodcast@gmail.com. I will not sell your email address and I will personally respond to you.