True "prepping" (beyond the basics for realistic disasters like utility outages and hurricanes) has always seemed to me like a deeply depressing obsession. Spending so much of your real-world time and money grimly preparing for a far-flung end-of-the-world scenario so that, in the very best case, you can... what, eke out a survival for a little while longer? In terms of maximizing the amount of happiness in one's life, it feels like a terrible waste of resources and energy. If you actually want to increase your number of years on this planet, go on a diet. Go to the gym.
Now: I think (looking at this from the outside) that for some people it's really just a hobby. They may not admit it as such, but I think some people just truly enjoy running through scenarios and stocking things up for the sake of the process. If so, I can't judge them for that. I spend plenty of money on useless things at renaissance fairs because I enjoy the roleplaying aspect. If prepping is just someone's preferred flavor of expensive roleplaying, then have at it. But for people who genuinely spend all waking hours trying to guard against a single, narrowly unlikely catastrophe, I have nothing but pity.
Now: I think (looking at this from the outside) that for some people it's really just a hobby. They may not admit it as such, but I think some people just truly enjoy running through scenarios and stocking things up for the sake of the process. If so, I can't judge them for that. I spend plenty of money on useless things at renaissance fairs because I enjoy the roleplaying aspect. If prepping is just someone's preferred flavor of expensive roleplaying, then have at it. But for people who genuinely spend all waking hours trying to guard against a single, narrowly unlikely catastrophe, I have nothing but pity.