Could the Seven Deadly Sins Aid in Your Survival?

Not long ago we talked about how the Seven Deadly Sins could impede your success at surviving the apocalypse. After publishing that post, I got to thinking: are there situations where the Seven Deadly Sins could actually help you survive?

Since an important part of being a successful survivor is looking at possible obstacles and making them work for you, this deserves a good long look.

From Luxist.com

Envy
This emotion can drive generally rational people to the brink of insanity with jealousy and material desires. However, if it’s kept tightly reined in, Envy can be helpful. Part of ambition is looking to what other people have – be it a job, a car, a house, a boat, a houseboat, or what have you – and desiring the same or something better.

What successful business person does not have ambition? What professional athlete didn’t start out as a kid watching someone else play and wanting those skills for her own?

With direction, Envy can be a tool to help you survive. Use it to find better places to stay. Use it to increase your arsenal and fortify your fortress. Wield it like a weapon against complacency and it will serve you.

Greed
Like I said before, Greed and Envy are apocalypse Buddies. Greed motivates. It helps give you the drive to sate your Envy. So long as you keep it in your control, it will serve you. Let Greed overwhelm you though…

Lust
Sex can be a tool. Look to almost any beer advertisement: sexy images invoke lustful feelings and thoughts while suggesting that purchasing and consuming the product can fulfill your desires. Hell, this is true with pretty much any advertisement. Using your sex appeal could increase your success rate during negotiations.

Gluttony
I have thought long and hard on Gluttony. So far, I haven’t been able to come up with any positive outcomes. What do you think?

Pride
Too much Pride will alienate those around you. They will flee from your odious personality, leaving you alone and vulnerable. Not enough and you will not be able to lead yourself never mind your crew because you will be too busy second-guessing yourself to actually make a decision.

However, if you have the right amount of pride, you will be able to make good decisions and lead your group to safety. If you are confident in your abilities and leadership skills but do not over estimate yourself, if you have the right amount of pride, people will listen to you and trust you.

From Flickr.com

Sloth
In certain survival situations, you will need to be able to take long respites to conserve energy. Without Sloth, you will die of exhaustion, exertion, and dehydration. Think of the hottest summer days: those days when the sun seems to be in the garden rather than the sky, when even warm water is cool and refreshing, when any amount of clothing is too much, when the weather services advise people between the ages of newborn and dead to stay inside. An apocalypse full of those days will need the most aggressive use of Slothfulness you can muster.

Wrath
By its very nature, Wrath destroys. It consumes the person feeling it and all those in her way like a forest fire ripping through ancient and dry woods.

But if it is dampened, if Wrath can be drawn into itself and made smaller, if it can become Anger, it can be used. Anger can motivate a person to better her situation. It can motivate the person feeling it create rather than destroy. It can be used to build new and better fortresses. Anger can motivate people to rescue those being held captive.

How else could the Seven Deadly Sins aid in your survival endeavors? Tell us in the comments!

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