In 1841, the American philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson,
wrote an essay called, "Self-Reliance." It was a call for
each of us to avoid a shallow conformity to society's
expectations, while confidently living our own lives
according to our own values. The term became a short-hand
for the tradition of self-sufficiency or "pulling yourself
up by your own bootstraps." The concepts of the "rugged
individual" and the "self-made" success are part of that
tradition.
Self-Reliance also refers to the idea captured in the Boy
Scout motto, "Be prepared." There is a deep tradition that
each of us should be able to take care of ourselves, and our
family.
I think that tradition is still strong and continues to be
found in our desire for success, for entrepreneurship and
our desire for a secure future.
But the concept of Self-Reliance flies in the face of other
traditions that are, perhaps, just as strong.
Our concepts of insurance, community, even extended family
are all ways in which we try to avoid the sense of being
alone in a big, scary world. We are social beings and we
form alliances of every sort, from religious and political
associations, to fraternal groups and civic organizations.
No one wants to be totally self-reliant if we can avoid it.
I see these twin desires for independence and communal
inter-dependence as a sort of continuum or pendulum.
As I see it, we increasingly live in an inter-connected
world and this week, that hit me hard.
The company that hosts my website had major problems,
intermittently on Monday, then for most of Tuesday and
Wednesday. We had no email, no website, no e-commerce, and
no customer service. For most of three days, I lost my
business! And there was nothing I could do about it.
During those three days, a funny thing happened. I noticed I
was eating an apple from New Zealand, and that my shirt had
been made in Viet Nam. I remembered that my "American" truck
was assembled in Canada, of parts made around the world. I
read a book that was written in England but printed in South
Korea, while I sat under a light bulb made in China, that
was powered by electricity generated on the Columbia River a
couple hundred miles away.
I came to three conclusions:
1. Self-Reliance is a good thing. When inflation and
insecurity were rampant in the 1970's, lots of people became
"survivalists." They stock-piled everything from food and
water, to guns and gold. Today, I see that happening again.
When it's driven by fear, I doubt that's a good thing or a
healthy motive. But the idea of marching to the beat of your
own drum, and of being "prepared" with skills, tools and
resources to take care of yourself and your loved ones is a
good thing.
Whether it's having some savings, a few days food stored in
the pantry, or an emergency plan for the family, storms and
disruptions can and (eventually) will happen. The Boy Scouts
are right to "be prepared."
2. Our world is ever-more inter-connected and inter-
dependent. In many ways, that is a good thing. My New
Zealand apple was delicious! But an inter-connected world is
vulnerable to disruptions, from power outages to strikes, to
riots in distant parts of the world. Our small, mutually-
dependent world makes us rich, but creates its own risks.
Mature people recognize, understand and prepare for those
risks.
3. I suspect success is about balancing these two forces.
Successful people "march to the beat of their own drummer."
But successful people also "play well with others." Success
is about finding and pursuing your own dreams and living
your own life in the context of a large and connected world.
No one can be truly successful without rich relationships, a
vibrant community, and willing customers. Too much
dependence makes us vulnerable and insecure. That's not
success in my book! But too much independence makes us
lonely and isolated, and that's almost a definition of
failure in life.
Long ago, Emerson recommended Self-Reliance, and he knew
something vital. Every child must find their own way and
learn to speak with their own voice. But we also live on a
small planet with a degree of inter-dependence unknown in
human history. Success is learning to balance these two
things. Live your own life, based on your own ideas,
strengths and resources. And, learn to be a valued
contributor in a vibrant, connected and multi-cultural
world.
wrote an essay called, "Self-Reliance." It was a call for
each of us to avoid a shallow conformity to society's
expectations, while confidently living our own lives
according to our own values. The term became a short-hand
for the tradition of self-sufficiency or "pulling yourself
up by your own bootstraps." The concepts of the "rugged
individual" and the "self-made" success are part of that
tradition.
Self-Reliance also refers to the idea captured in the Boy
Scout motto, "Be prepared." There is a deep tradition that
each of us should be able to take care of ourselves, and our
family.
I think that tradition is still strong and continues to be
found in our desire for success, for entrepreneurship and
our desire for a secure future.
But the concept of Self-Reliance flies in the face of other
traditions that are, perhaps, just as strong.
Our concepts of insurance, community, even extended family
are all ways in which we try to avoid the sense of being
alone in a big, scary world. We are social beings and we
form alliances of every sort, from religious and political
associations, to fraternal groups and civic organizations.
No one wants to be totally self-reliant if we can avoid it.
I see these twin desires for independence and communal
inter-dependence as a sort of continuum or pendulum.
As I see it, we increasingly live in an inter-connected
world and this week, that hit me hard.
The company that hosts my website had major problems,
intermittently on Monday, then for most of Tuesday and
Wednesday. We had no email, no website, no e-commerce, and
no customer service. For most of three days, I lost my
business! And there was nothing I could do about it.
During those three days, a funny thing happened. I noticed I
was eating an apple from New Zealand, and that my shirt had
been made in Viet Nam. I remembered that my "American" truck
was assembled in Canada, of parts made around the world. I
read a book that was written in England but printed in South
Korea, while I sat under a light bulb made in China, that
was powered by electricity generated on the Columbia River a
couple hundred miles away.
I came to three conclusions:
1. Self-Reliance is a good thing. When inflation and
insecurity were rampant in the 1970's, lots of people became
"survivalists." They stock-piled everything from food and
water, to guns and gold. Today, I see that happening again.
When it's driven by fear, I doubt that's a good thing or a
healthy motive. But the idea of marching to the beat of your
own drum, and of being "prepared" with skills, tools and
resources to take care of yourself and your loved ones is a
good thing.
Whether it's having some savings, a few days food stored in
the pantry, or an emergency plan for the family, storms and
disruptions can and (eventually) will happen. The Boy Scouts
are right to "be prepared."
2. Our world is ever-more inter-connected and inter-
dependent. In many ways, that is a good thing. My New
Zealand apple was delicious! But an inter-connected world is
vulnerable to disruptions, from power outages to strikes, to
riots in distant parts of the world. Our small, mutually-
dependent world makes us rich, but creates its own risks.
Mature people recognize, understand and prepare for those
risks.
3. I suspect success is about balancing these two forces.
Successful people "march to the beat of their own drummer."
But successful people also "play well with others." Success
is about finding and pursuing your own dreams and living
your own life in the context of a large and connected world.
No one can be truly successful without rich relationships, a
vibrant community, and willing customers. Too much
dependence makes us vulnerable and insecure. That's not
success in my book! But too much independence makes us
lonely and isolated, and that's almost a definition of
failure in life.
Long ago, Emerson recommended Self-Reliance, and he knew
something vital. Every child must find their own way and
learn to speak with their own voice. But we also live on a
small planet with a degree of inter-dependence unknown in
human history. Success is learning to balance these two
things. Live your own life, based on your own ideas,
strengths and resources. And, learn to be a valued
contributor in a vibrant, connected and multi-cultural
world.
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