The Value of Self-Sufficiency 633.1
When young children start to learn new things, they commonly reject any help, declaring, “I want to do it myself!” Whatever happened to this growing flame of self-reliance and independence?
Why have so many young people replaced this youthful hunger for self-sufficiency with an entitlement mentality? Why are so many young people comfortable with their hands out and indifferent to the idea of keeping their heads high? We need to do a better job promoting self-sufficiency as a good thing, as a mark of maturity, and as a requirement of independence.
Self-sufficiency is the only road to meaningful personal freedom. Dependency always comes with strings attached. Thus, young adults who still live in their parents’ home or let their parents pay for rent or car payments have to expect unwanted efforts to influence or control important decisions.
Self-sufficiency is an important aspect of responsibility. People of character try to carry their own weight. They want to free others of the burden of providing for them. Self-sufficiency isn’t simply a state of financial independence wished for by parents anxious to reclaim their incomes and homes. It’s a genuinely prized source of self-respect and esteem arising from the sense of freedom that comes with knowing we can thrive on our own without relying on the goodwill and resources of others.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
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Comments
This is so true! I was brought up to be as self-sufficient as possible. I was taught the value of money and got my 1st job at age 14. If I wanted more than the essentials, I had to work for them and I learned to really appreciate what I had. My daughter was brought up in a similar fashion. When she graduated from college, she took full responsibility for her life and is a confident self-sufficient young lady. Sometimes I wonder if parents even realize what they are doing when they just fill the constant hand that wants. It isn't easy saying no to your child, but in the long run they are better for it.
Posted by: Katherine Mueller | August 21, 2009 11:49 AM
I agree wholeheartedly. I did not have this type of upbringing. My father was very vocal and blamed all his personal failures on others. My mother enabled him by supporting him financially and keeping her mouth shut while he circumvented personal responsibility. Parents really do pass on these lessons to their children. For me there were a lot of hard lessons in my early adulthood that severely stunted my personal growth and earning capacity. It was as if my father's life was playing itself out again, but in this instance with no support from someone like my mother. Only until I fully rejected the sense of entitlement ingrained in my psychology from my upbringing did I start to have success in my life.
Posted by: C. | August 31, 2009 10:39 PM