Being Practical in the Zombie Apocalypse

Nothing will teach you what is really important in life quite as fast as the zombie apocalypse. Will you trade a 2-carat diamond ring for a box of crackers and a bottle of water? Of course you will! The choice is easy. Cute shoes with a two-inch heel, or running shoes? The importance placed on the superficial will melt away and practicality will replace it. 

Racism and sexism become something you can't afford. If someone is reliable and a good fighter, you are risking your own safety by alienating them. 

Waste will come to a halt. You may think of all the water you wasted by taking long showers and leaving the faucet on while you brush your teeth. All resources will become precious.

The very wealthy would be at a real disadvantage. If your experience in solving problems is limited to throwing money at them, you will either have to learn new skills quickly or die. It's when you really understand that people function best in a community, even a small one, and that your rational self-interest and copy of Atlas Shrugged isn't going to protect you long enough to do a dramatic reading of the "This Is John Galt Speaking" speech. 

Edgar Quisenberry, a character in Pat Frank's Alas, Babylon, committed suicide because he had built his life around being superior because of money. When money became worthless, so did he. When he understood that money only had the illusion of value, and that illusion had been stripped away by the bombs, he had nothing to offer. His only weapon had been the control of money, and when it was gone, it was revealed just how soft he was. In the zombie apocalypse, knowing how to mix concrete will be a more valuable skill than understanding banking transactions. 

The zombie apocalypse really teaches you the difference between what you need and what you want. It may be a harsh way to learn a lesson, but it's effective.