What Will (likely) Kill You – Giving Doomsday Some Perspective
Often when I am discussing killer solar storms with people, they’ll say something like I’m going to die one day anyway, so, whatever. It’s the opposite attitude of a prepper. But how do preppers react to the concept of something mundane killing them? I guess some strive to stay alive no matter what the culprit. But others might not find a fight against heart disease exciting enough?
Survival Life have made a nice list of all the non-catastrophic ways of dying, and the associated odds. I’ve added how to beat the odds…
- Get Heart Disease (diet and exercise)
1 in 6 - Get Cancer (diet and exercise)
1 in 7 - Have a Stroke (diet and exercise)
1 in 29 - Die in a motor vehicle incident (walk)
1 in 98 - Die from Intentional self-harm (choose not to)
1 in 109 - Unintentional poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances (I think these odds are wrong?)
1 in 126 - Falls (take more care, wear good shoes)
1 in 163 - Assault by Firearm (live in Australia or Canada)
1 in 321 - Car occupant death (walk)
1 in 368 - Pedestrian death (walk where cars aren’t)
1 in 701 - Motorcycle rider death (don’t ride)
1 in 761 - Accidental drowning and submersion (stay on land)
1 in 1,103 - Exposure to smoke, fire, and flames death (keep a fire extinguisher in your bedroom, office, kitchen, garage, car and lounge)
1 in 1,344 - Cyclist death (don’t cycle)
1 in 4,381 - Firearms discharge death (don’t use guns)
1 in 6,609 - Air and space transport incidents death (don’t fly)
1 in 7,178 - Death from exposure to electric current, temperature, and pressure
1 in 12,420 - Death from exposure to excessive natural heat (live somewhere temperate)
1 in 13,217 - Odds of being murdered (be nice to everyone, have nothing worth stealing)
1 in 18,000 - Cataclysmic storm (have a bunker)
1 in 29,196 - Death from contact with hornets, wasps, or bees (don’t poke them with a stick)
1 in 79,842 - Death from earthquake and other earth movements
1 in 97,807 - Death from legal execution
1 in 111,779 - Death from lightning (stay inside during storms)
1 in 134,906 - Bitten or struck by dog
1 in 144,899 - Odds of dying in a Tsunami/Flood
1 in 558,896 - Odds of an asteroid or meteor killing you directly
1 in 625,000
As you can see, most are avoidable to some degree. Where you are at risk, it is usually (ultimately) by choice. If you choose a hamburger diet, if you choose to fly or drive, if you choose to fix the roof, if you choose to use a gun, if you go swimming in the ocean…
I actually avoid the risks of many of the items on the list. But it’s not seen as smart, and certainly not manly, unless you can prove you avoided death, which is hard.
Your choice.
