“To find yourself, think for yourself.” ― Socrates

It's a simple concept…


     If you are self-reliant then you don't need to depend on anyone. It's all there, black and white, cut and dry. One of the greatest virtues in oneself is self –reliance. A man who relies upon himself enjoys glorious independence, for he has not to wait to be helped by others. Being self-reliant allows you to feel that life is never dull and never dispirited. Life should be a great adventure full of interest and excitement. As Cicero says "Most happy is he who is entirely self- reliant, and who centers all requirements in himself. Through his own resources he accepts all challenges of life, and develops new virtues and qualities. He is ever ready to take the initiative; he is always confidant of finding a way out of difficulties.


    In the United States, the virtue of self-reliance has been lost over the last decade. Traditionally, Americans have placed a great value on self-reliance and fortitude. In recent decades however we have seen a growing trend in individuals that are underdeveloped, psychically frail, and requiring the "help" of mental health professionals to help with life's deviations. Our tendency is to depend too much on "faith" or someone to help us and pull or chestnuts out of the fire. With a book for every aliment, a counselor for every crisis, a lawsuit for every grievance and a TV show for every conceivable problem that might arise in our daily lives. We are at risk of degrading our ability to cope with life's challenges. This habit destroys the springs of action. But if we have courage and initiative, we may become the masters of our own destiny.

With self-reliance, you learn to trust yourself. To rely on others judgment is cowardly, without inspiration or hope. A person with high self-esteem and self-reliance exhibits originality and is the sense childlike, meaning they are unspoiled selfish needs, yet mature. This rebellious individualism contrasts with the attitude of cautious adults, who, because they are overly concerned with reputation, approvals, and the opinion of others, are always hesitant or unsure; consequently adults have a great difficulty acting spontaneously or genuinely. Self- reliance is a boon and a skill, a need and a necessity, a challenge and a benefit. A life free from some of the constrains that could pin us down, a life free to explore and discover all that is available to us, if we chose to go for it


     The search for self-reliance comes from loving something, mainly you, for its inheriting values. One should not value, like or love something for what it can get you or what it can do for you. There are many people who make their own fortune, or lack thereof. We see it on the television shows that we watch to help us with our problems that we are to inept to solve ourselves. Take the show Scrubs. In the first episode of the series doctor John Dorian, a quirky, insecure man child, criticizes his best friend Chris Turk, a competitive, macho, frat boy, for "learning by doing" while John Dorian, having the same training and schooling as Christ Turk, is still having the nurses place a IV in his patients, but having no problem taking the credit for what they did. Isn't that the American way? Also John Dorian (JD) is constantly going to his attending physician Dr. Perry Cox for every little problem that may come up in his life. JD is extremely dependent on others around him to solve his problems. We root for JD because, for some, he is a mirror image of what we all are, a goofy, dorky, awkward individual trying to make it in this world. We are all perpetually confused and are the brunt of everybody's jokes. American's, as we all know, make great doormats. We can pull off a quizzical reaction shot but end up a pratfall into a gigantic puddle of our won failures and lost opportunities.


 We can all agree that we have to live with the consequences of our actions. With independent thought and action and action we can feel good that we have met life's challenges head on. In most cases we have fought a good fight when the need arose, dug in when we needed to, and kept on going when times got rough. But now the sun is out, we are bathing in its warmth, enjoying our relation in the knowledge that we are where we are now because of our own actions, our own resolve, our own competent and determined activities.