There are a lot of theories about what to expect from a zombie apocalypse, and some of the best tactics, I think, are represented in "The Walking Dead." This is a show that follows a small town sherriff on his quest to find his family after waking up from a coma to the chaotic world around him. The trials and errors are shown throughout the show as members of a group struggle to maintain a somewhat normal existence among the dead that walk the earth. Listed below are some of the concepts that one has to abide by to survive in this particular depiction of the zombie apocalypse.
1. Don't travel in large groups
This is never a smart idea, especially if people in your group are not going to be helpful. This was evident in the first season when we first saw Andrea pointing a gun in Rick's face...she didn't even know that she had the safety on, so trying to shoot him would have been pointless. There were also too many emotions going around in this group outing, which made almost everyone hysterical to a certain point. Hardly anyone was thinking rationally to find a solution to getting out of the building alive. If it hadn't been for Glenn and Rick, they wouldn't have be able to escape the city and make it safely back to camp. Now there is one advantage to traveling in large groups, but it's not a pleasant concept. If zombies, aka walkers, attack, then some people will be left behind as food, which not a pleasant thought.
2. Emotions are your worst enemy
In an end-of-the-world scenario, it's best to leave emotions out of the mix and think about how you're going to survive. Being emotional gets people killed because they lose perspective on reality and the situation at hand.
3. Making noise is a horrible idea
It's best to just be quiet when the apocalypse occurs. Attracting too much attention can result in massive amounts of zombies, which will most likely result in death. A lot of death. Plus, it pisses people off when unnecessary noise is made and attracts zombies, especially if it's been a day or so without coming in contact with any.
4. Sleeping with everyone should not be your objective
This concept applies to Andrea and Lori, who slept with multiple people during the apocalypse on this show. Lori started something with Rick's friend, Shane, before realizing that Rick was alive. When Rick showed up, she was back with him. That act prompted so much tension and drama between the three of them. As for Andrea, she slept with people who caused monumental problems, such as Shane and the Governor. She was too focused on her own feelings to think about what the effects would be and who the men were that she was sleeping with at the time. Sex should probably be the last thing on everyone's mind when zombies have taken over the planet.
5. Having a baby is not ideal during the zombie apocalypse
Babies cannot be controlled: they cry very often and make a lot of sounds that could attract attention very easily. They're also difficult to keep alive if they don't have the correct sustenance to sustain them. They can't fend for themselves either; they demand full supervision and care from someone else 24/7. Plus, if you get pregnant during the apocalypse, there are no drugs to help you while giving birth. There's a possibility that you may die from giving birth as well.
6. Defending yourself is necessary
It's a difficult world to live in when you have to constantly kill the dead to survive, but it's necessary if you wish to continue living.
7. Be weary of other humans
This lesson was first made a concern during season two when Rick, Hershel, and Glenn encounter a group of men in the town close to Hershel's farm. The men were killed because of their off-putting behavior. The group later learns from the young man they take hostage that his group was made up of about 30 others (men, mostly) and that they had raped two girls they found in another camp, forcing their father to witness the crime. Rick's group had to make a decision about killing the boy so that he could not lead his people back to the farm. This lesson is continued throughout the show from here on out because other humans are dangerous due to the conditions they have been under. No one trusts anyone anymore.
8. Losing people is inevitable
People are going to die and there's nothing that can be done about it. We have to learn to move on and keep going if we are going to survive. It's okay to mourn those we lose, but the grief cannot consume us because it will make us emotional, which blurs our perspective.
9. You can't save everyone
This applies to finding random people who are traveling in small groups (three to five). They can't all be taken in, especially if space is limited. They're just going to have to make their own way.
10. Voting people off the island is necessary sometimes
These are the people who want to antagonize everyone and start drama about the decisions being made by the group leader. Merle is the example I'm giving because he was handcuffed to a roof in the first few episodes because he wanted to a racist asshole instead of being of value to the group.
11. Don't be stupid
Being stupid gets people killed. It's that simple.
