The Walking Dead, Survival Rule Of The Week: Taking Action

While recklessness can be lethal in a zombie apocalypse, so can inaction. In this week’s episode of The Walking Dead, we saw how important taking action is.

Last week, I tackled the issue of recklessness in the zombie apocalypse. This week, I intend to kind of tackle the opposite: Inaction, and why you can’t partake in it.

This might seem contradictory at first, but, rest assured, it is far from it. On the one hand, recklessness is failing to stop and think about the long-term effects of one’s actions, on the other, we have the long-term effects of one’s failure to act.

Just as last week’s episode showed us the folly of failing to think, this week we saw the folly of failing to act.

Let’s start with Richard. During this week’s episode, he told Morgan his backstory. Richard recounted to Morgan how, earlier in the apocalypse, he’d noticed issues within his original group, but believed there were people better qualified to deal with them, and so kept quiet.

(Unfortunately, his backstory didn’t involve The Saviors in any capacity, thus deflating my theory. Sadness ensues.)

Later, while trying to escape the carnage, he lost his daughter, according to him, through his failure to act. He implies this was due to a walker attack, but, doesn’t say so explicitly.

In any event, the point is clear: Richard lost those he cared about because of his inaction. Had he done something, at least in his mind, his wife and daughter might still be alive.

Next, let’s look at Morgan…

It was pretty clear (No pun intended) that part of the theme for this week’s Walking Dead were the parallels between Richard and Morgan.

Let’s be honest, they’re tough to miss: Richard lost his daughter because of his (Apparent) failure to kill a walker, just as Morgan lost his son because of his failure to kill the walker of his wife.

Furthermore, considering Morgan’s reaction to Benjamin’s death (Including accidentally calling him “Duane”), it’s easy to see that Morgan is reliving his son’s death, and may even see himself as being responsible for Benjamin’s death as well. He may believe that, had he aided Richard when he was first asked to convince Ezekiel to fight The Saviors, or backed Rick when he asked Ezekiel to do the same, Ben might not have been killed.

Carol serves as another example of the need for action in a zombie apocalypse, when action is called for.

Since the last few episodes of season six, Carol has been desperately trying to distance herself from The Group, for fear of needing to kill to protect it.

However, upon learning that Negan had killed Glenn, Abraham, Spencer, and ordered the death of Olivia, Carol has realized what Richard was trying to say: That The Saviors are, and always will be, a threat.

This, in turn, has made Carol realize that, no matter how much she may want to avoid fighting, to keep those she cares about alive, she must.

Which brings us to Ezekiel. Now, one can’t necessarily blame Ezekiel for his reluctance: He fears war with The Saviors will kill his people.

However, Benjamin’s death at the hands of The Saviors has made him realize that failing to fight them will yield the same result…only slower.

Ezekiel may feel that, had he agreed to Rick’s request, Richard wouldn’t have had to prove his point about The Saviors so tragically. Once again, someone’s inaction in the face of a dangerous situation caused the death of a person they cared deeply about.

In a zombie apocalypse, action is a necessity. You can’t rush into trouble headlong, but, you also can’t sit on your hands.

If you become aware of a dangerous situation, you can’t just dig your head into the sand and ignore it; Sooner or later, it will become a problem, and you need to act to stop it, while you have the chance to do so.

That failure to act will end up in the same result as recklessness: A lot death and a lot of regret about one’s role in that death.

When you have the option to act to save lives, think about what you’re going to do, but, nevertheless, take it.

This is why you follow…The Rules.

Next: The Walking Dead, Survival Rule Of The Week: Recklessness

And that’s our survival rule of the week!! Hopefully, it will help you should you ever need it and give you that mental edge that will prove so crucial once the dead start eating everyone.

If you like this and want to find out more rules to survive the zombie apocalypse, why not pick up a copy of my book, The Rules: A Guide To Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse! You can get it on Kindle here and on iTunes here!