Why Do We All Secretly Wish for a Zombie Apocalypse?
Sitting around in your pajamas, waiting for something—anything—to happen won’t make it so.
I come from a family of storytellers. My grandparents, parents, aunts-n-uncles, all gathered at every family event, sharing tales about the good ol’ days. Stories filled with adventure: World War II, Vietnam, ‘Grapes of Wrath’ type stuff, Pretty Boy Floyd. Stories of love, of danger, and even murder-by-Drano.
The stories were passed around, often interrupted, with little embellishments added by another relative.
“No, that happened to Jonathan.”
“Don’t forget about that dog Thomas had.”
“Remember when you chased that pervert out of the house?”
“What about that time Dad’s beer exploded?”
And so on.
I was a sponge, soaking it all up.
I sat there, listening, yearning for my own test. How would I have fared in a war? What would I do if I stumbled upon a bank robber or ran away at eight years old? Or if I worked in an all-night bowling alley setting pins for gamblers?
I needed my chance to be a hero.
Life’s boring. Nothing happens. But if I had the chance, I’d show them. I’d rise to the occasion. There’s something special inside me that no one recognizes—I just need the opportunity to unleash it.
Social media is the modern storyteller, that big, fat, drunken uncle who claims he invented Post-It notes first. If people would’ve just listened to him. He’s be the billionaire. He’d be making the rules. He’d get all the women, the cars, the TV commercials.
Social media is all wrapped up in nice, shiny, bow-topped packages. It’ll make you rich. It’ll keep you informed. It’ll make you popular, hip, pretty. It makes the person posting feel better, sometimes. But it doesn’t make us, the onlookers, feel any better.
We get a little squirt of dopamine—just enough to make us want more. We see those lives splashed across our feeds, but they remain just out of reach. Why are they so happy? Why aren’t you? You deserve more.
Fuck it. Let’s tear it all down.
The abyss is waiting for you. That ever darker, deeper, pit of hate and jealousy, fine tuning it’s message so that it seems almost reasonable.
So, we sit around, bored, longing for something terrible to happen.
We have the stories of our families, our friends. Stories streamed to us via TV and the internet—curated more and more to suit our preferences.
But we want something to shatter it all.
We want some stupid, ignorant, hate-filled, so-called outsider to come in and tear down this unfair system we live in, while we ride around in our pickup trucks decorated with juvenile bumper stickers, spewing designer black exhaust, shooting our middle fingers at the world, and longing for a long-gone past where we would’ve been king.
We want to be struck by lightning.
Dropped into a vat of toxic waste.
Hit by an earthquake, a hurricane, a swarm of locusts...
A Zombie Apocalypse.
Living in the ZA
The Zombie Apocalypse—yes, the ZA will get its own catchy little acronym—would be the ultimate test for those who survive. It’s a “before and after” event, meaning everything that came before no longer matters.
But why does the ZA appeal to us so much?
It’s a hard reset: Human beings are tribal. We thrive in hierarchical societies, but as those societies grow, individuals can get lost in the shuffle. We develop levels, caste systems—suddenly, it’s no longer an equal playing field. It’s billionaires, it’s courts, it’s politician telling us how to live and who to fuck and which God or statue or political party offers our poor souls redemption. The ZA offers the ultimate equalizer. It levels all.
Control: No taxes. No laws. No rent. No job. No one telling you who or what you should be.
Simplicity: All you need to do is survive, feed yourself, and protect your tribe. This taps into our evolutionary roots.
Meritocracy: In the ZA, there are no silver spoons. Survival is earned, not inherited.
Humanity shines in emergencies: When people face a common threat, they come together. In crisis, we unite.
The Secret Sauce
You aren’t special. Sorry. But you are unique. You have a voice. You are a survivor. It’s in your DNA. You come from a long line of survivors, and you’ve made it this far by showing up every day and doing what’s needed.
There’s magic in being present and doing the work every day—the boring, unglamorous work that eventually turns you into an “overnight” success five years from now. But it must be your work. Work you care about. Work with a purpose.
When you sit down, day after day, and grind, something mysterious happens. A process is set in motion by which, inevitably and infallibly, unseen forces come to your aid, serendipity reveals and supports your purpose.
“When we sit down day after day and keep grinding, heaven comes to our aid. Unseen forces enlist in our cause.” - Steven Pressfield
If the zombies come knocking, you’ll handle it. But the real test is happening right now. It’s the very definition of an existential crisis—it just requires you to do the little things, every day.
Think. Write the story. Make the sales call. Do the research. Take a walk around the block.
Vote.
Your goals are built on the back of small, daily steps. You don’t need to wait around for the ZA. You don’t need the push of a life-or-death event to start living a life of purpose. You don’t need to fall for the rantings of some carnival huckster tapping into your biological need to be part of a group.
We live in a time and a land of great opportunity. Don’t let anyone else scare you into believing otherwise.
Start doing—or you’ll go nowhere.
Think About It…
I talk a lot about work in this article. I believe in work. It’s been a constant part of my life.
I don’t believe in the ‘hustle culture’. I want work with thought. And while it is true, that progress is built upon the back of small daily tasks, it can be dangerous to just do the same thing over and over again.
Progress requires moving towards a goal. Progress requires learning and thinking about it all. The work must become more efficient, more productive daily.
I also find that people that work with purpose aren’t as likely to fall for bullshit. They have meaning. They value and respect themselves.
Do It…
Read it: The Emperor’s New Clothes. It’s a fairy tale that’s been translated to over 100 languages. You likely are familiar with the story. Read it again. See how it applies today. It’s a classic for a reason. And speak up.
Watch it: Tom Brady being interviewed by Colin Cowherd. Even if you hate football this is gold. It’s a masterclass on how to prepare and how to work. Skip to 14:30 if you want to get to the heart of the preparation required to be successful. But I promise, if you watch the entire interview, you will be better prepared to tackle your daily challenges.
Vote it: But do your prep. This requires that you research the issues and not go down some rabbitey-hole that spins conspiracy theories supporting weird tales about controlling weather. And men? What the hell? You say the economy is your main issues. So vote for Harris. Every news outlet, economist, and even the Wall Street Journal say the Trump economy will start a recession and explode the the deficit. Everyone. Massive tariffs and tax cuts to the rich is not even a ‘concept’ of a viable plan.
Not sure what I mean about voting? Read this: Please, Don’t Vote. If This is You.
Quote it:
Trust is earned in drops and lost in buckets. Unwavering honesty will help seal in trust. - Kevin Kelly
We should be able to trust our leaders first and foremost. Honesty must be a basic principle and attribute of all people put into a position of power. And admitting you are lying and will continue to lie should be all we need to hear. JD Vance admitted he lied. And that he would continue to lie. Case closed.
If you want to check out some great reading list and see which books have influenced, surprised, educated, and entertained me, check out my book shop here. The lists grow monthly and I don’t recommend any books I haven’t personally read. Or use my book recommendation engine and specific author chatbots. Check it out. It’s fun.