The best response to an environment of dangerous abundance is to move in a way that is contrary to the normal behaviors seen in that environment. This is a form of scarcity which drives up value.
Consider this example: The price of uranium. (Probably not what you were thinking, I know).
The uranium used to power nuclear energy plants is a pretty cheap material. The amount of uranium consumed by the worlds powerplants and the amount of uranium produced was balanced and stable. Both sides were locked into long-term contracts.
Until one company, Sprott Physical Uranium Trust, began buying significant amounts of physical uranium, and stockpiling it, making it available to no one but a group of investors.
Suddenly the balance was upset, a tipping point was reached and the price of uranium skyrockets. Soon lots of groups are buying uranium and taking it off the market. The scarcity drives up the price even higher. The realization that the USA is going to need incredible amounts of electricity for all our electric cars that it isn’t prepared to produce through solar or wind causes speculators to buy up even more uranium. Speculators are betting on the feasibility of small modular nuclear powerplants being developed by the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
Scarcity compounds, and those who have been preparing despite the previous environment of low, stable uranium prices are positioned to (potentially) reap a windfall.
Scarcity dictates value. There are hundreds of Pokemon cards scattered about my house. Their abundance keeps their value low. Below zero in my opinion. There are only a few classic comics available in our household, and they are competed for consistently.
This scarcity also applies to people and their skills.
So if you live in a culture that spends all their free time distracted by media, be the person who studies, even when they aren’t in a formal class, and voluntarily limits their social media consumption.
If you’re in a culture that over-indulges in sugar and food consumption, learn about healthy living and voluntarily limit your consumption. Maybe even try fasting from time to time. Try yoga or a kettlebell.
If you’re in a culture which prioritizes money and social status, be someone who prioritizes relationships and spiritual depth.
If you’re in a culture where people are isolated and lonely (See “Bowling Alone”), be the person who initiates grabbing a coffee together.
If you’re doing these things, you’ll quickly find that you’re a bit out of step from the rest of the culture, and you’ll find that you’re a rare commodity in their current environment. Strange even, but strange in the best, most refreshing sense of the word.