06/08/2023
Self-reliance is the ability to make or repair things ourselves and to rely on our own knowledge and skills to meet our needs and wants. It is a value that has been cherished by many Americans since the founding of the nation, as it reflects a spirit of independence, freedom, and creativity. However, in recent decades, this value has been eroding and we have become more dependent on external sources of knowledge and labor to provide goods and services that we consume or use. This phenomenon has been driven by factors such as globalization, specialization, consumerism, and convenience. In this article, we will explore how this shift affects our sense of self-confidence and freedom as American people and why it is worthwhile to develop more skills for self-reliance in various aspects of life.
Developing more skills for self-reliance can help us counteract some of the negative effects of dependence and enhance our sense of self-confidence and freedom as American people.
When we learn to make or repair things ourselves, we gain the ability to influence our own outcomes and circumstances. We become active producers rather than passive consumers. We also become more resilient and adaptable to external factors that may affect the availability, affordability, or safety of the goods and services we need or want.
When we learn new knowledge and skills that interest us, we gain the opportunity to develop our own talents and passions. We also gain the sense of pride and accomplishment that comes from learning new things and mastering new challenges. We become more diverse and unique in our interests and abilities.
When we learn to meet our needs and wants with our own knowledge and skills or with the help of our neighbors and local resources, we gain the incentive to connect with our social and environmental surroundings. We also gain the benefits of mutual support, cooperation, and exchange that come from sharing our knowledge and skills with others. We become more integrated and engaged in our communities.
These benefits are similar to what Matthew B. Crawford argued in his essay Shop Class as Soulcraft, where he made a powerful case for the special value of skilled work that requires the use of one’s hands. He shared his personal experience as a philosopher-turned-mechanic who found more satisfaction and meaning in fixing motorcycles than in working at a think tank. He also explored how working with one’s hands can foster cognitive, moral, and social virtues such as attention, responsibility, and solidarity.
There are many examples of people who have developed remarkable self-reliance in various aspects of life such as inventors, entrepreneurs, artists, craftsmen, farmers, homesteaders, etc. We can seek inspiration from their stories, achievements, and challenges. We can also seek inspiration from nature, culture, history, or spirituality.
Developing more self-reliance is not only a way to cope with the decline of this value but also a way to enrich our lives with more agency, identity, and community. It is a way to express our independence, freedom, and creativity as American people.
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How to Develop More Skills for Self-Reliance
• Seek education: There are many sources of information and instruction that can help us learn new knowledge and skills for self-reliance such as books, magazines, websites, podcasts, videos, courses, workshops, etc. We can seek education online or offline, formally or informally, individually or collectively. We can also seek education from experts or peers who have experience or expertise in the areas we want to learn.
• Practice experimentation: There are many opportunities to practice new knowledge and skills for self-reliance by trying new things, making mistakes, and learning from them. We can practice experimentation at home or outside, alone or with others, for fun or for necessity. We can also practice experimentation by modifying existing things, creating new things, or repairing broken things.
• Seek inspiration:
: Emerson, R.W., 1841. Self-Reliance. In Essays: First Series.
: Crawford, M.B., 2009. Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into The Value Of Work. Penguin Press.
Received message. Sure, I can rewrite the article without repeating the same phrases multiple times and replacing "outsourced dependence" with "dependence".
