I kind of agree with Ironraven's thoughts.

If you wanted to have three-hundred pounds of rice or thousands of rounds of ammo in your closet, and that bothers no one else and does not have any detrimental effects in your life, then it should not be thought of as a problem. There is to some extent going to be issues with people being the other way, when not having any preparations leads them to worry to such an extent that it does have detrimental effects. Stopping drinking water so that you threaten your own health is beyond preparedness, it seems to be the exact opposite. Spending all your money on being prepared for something that may never come is also beyond preparedness. The thing is to try to find the balance that's right for you.

And for some, they may need to change the society in which they live, in order to live they want to anyway. If you wanted to live a self-sufficient, grow-your-own-food kind lifestyle and do it in New York City, it's going to be tough for you to do it and not be considered really weird. In other times and places, doing anythign but would be considered weird. Now, if you can live a weird lifestyle and still function without harm to you or others, that may also not be a problem. many do not have the make up that would allow them to live such a lifestyle.