self-reliance
Noun: - Personal independence; reliance on one's own powers and resources rather than those of others. It refers to the quality or state of being able to depend on oneself for what one needs or wants, without requiring significant help from other people.
"Self-reliance" is an uncountable noun. It describes a personal quality or philosophy of life. It is often used in discussions about character, personal development, economics, and philosophy. It implies confidence in one's own judgment and abilities.
- Noun:
- Her self-reliance was evident when she built her own business from the ground up.
- The pioneer spirit emphasized hard work and self-reliance.
- Financial self-reliance is an important goal for many young adults.
Philosophical Context: The term is central to the essay "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson, which champions individualism and intuition over conformity to societal expectations.
- Emerson's philosophy of self-reliance encourages people to trust their own inner voice.
Economic/Social Policy: Used to describe policies or ideologies that encourage individuals or communities to provide for themselves.
- The government's policy aims to foster self-reliance rather than long-term dependency on aid.
- Self-reliant (adjective): Having or showing self-reliance.
- She is a very self-reliant individual who rarely asks for help.
- Independence: The fact or state of being independent.
- Autonomy: The right or condition of self-government; personal freedom.
- Self-sufficiency: The ability to supply one's own needs without external assistance.
- Dependence: The state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else.
- Reliance on others: The condition of needing support from other people.
- To stand on one's own (two) feet: To be independent and self-reliant.
- After college, he was determined to stand on his own two feet.
- To pull oneself up by one's bootstraps: To improve one's situation by one's own efforts, without external help. (Note: This idiom can imply the achievement is difficult or against odds).
- The story celebrated entrepreneurs who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.
- personal independence