The Dignity of Self-Reliance

Self-confidence, without self-reliance, is as useless as a cooking recipe,--without food. Self-confidence sees the possibilities of the individual; self-reliance realizes them. Self-confidence sees the angel in the unhewn block of marble; self-reliance carves it out for himself.

Self-confidence without self-reliance is as useless as a recipe without food. Self-confidence sees a person's potential. Self-reliance makes that potential real. Self-confidence sees the angel in a rough block of marble. Self-reliance carves it out.

The man who is self-reliant says ever: "No one can realize my possibilities for me, but me; no one can make me good or evil but myself." He works out his own salvation,--financially, socially, mentally, physically, and morally. Life is an individual problem that man must solve for himself. Nature accepts no vicarious sacrifice, no vicarious service. Nature never recognizes a proxy vote. She has nothing to do with middle-men,--she deals only with the individual. Nature is constantly seeking to show man that he is his own best friend, or his own worst enemy. Nature gives man the option on which he will be to himself.

A self-reliant man always says: "No one can fulfill my potential for me but me. No one can make me good or evil but myself." He works out his own salvation financially, socially, mentally, physically, and morally. Life is an individual problem that each man must solve for himself. Nature accepts no sacrifice or service made by one person on behalf of another. Nature never allows anyone to vote by proxy. She has nothing to do with middlemen. She deals only with the individual. Nature constantly tries to show man that he is his own best friend or his own worst enemy. Nature gives him the choice of which he will be.

All the athletic exercises in the world are of no value to the individual unless he compel those bars and dumb-bells to yield to him, in strength and muscle, the power for which he, himself, pays in time and effort. He can never develop his muscles by sending his valet to a gymnasium.

All the exercise in the world is useless unless a person uses the bars and dumbbells to build strength and muscle. He must earn that strength through his own time and effort. He can never develop his muscles by sending his valet to the gym.

The medicine-chests of the world are powerless, in all the united efforts, to help the individual until he reach out and take for himself what is needed for his individual weakness.

All the medicine chests in the world, working together, cannot help a person. Each person must reach out and take what they need for their own weakness.

All the religions of the world are but speculations in morals, mere theories of salvation, until the individual realize that he must save himself by relying on the law of truth, as he sees it, and living his life in harmony with it, as fully as he can. But religion is not a Pullman car, with soft-cushioned seats, where he has but to pay for his ticket,--and some one else does all the rest. In religion, as in all other great things, he is ever thrown back on his self-reliance. He should accept all helps, but,--he must live his own life. He should not feel that he is a mere passenger; he is the engineer, and the train is his life. We must rely on ourselves, live our own lives, or we merely drift through existence,--losing all that is best, all that is greatest, all that is divine.

All the religions of the world are only speculations about morality and theories of salvation until people realize they must save themselves. They must rely on the law of truth as they see it and live in harmony with it as fully as they can. But religion is not a Pullman car with soft seats, where you just buy a ticket and someone else does everything. In religion, as in all other great things, you must always rely on yourself. You should accept all the help you can, but you must live your own life. You should not feel that you are merely a passenger. You are the engineer, and the train is your life. We must rely on ourselves and live our own lives. Otherwise, we merely drift through existence, losing all that is best, all that is greatest, all that is divine.

All that others can do for us is to give us opportunity. We must ever be prepared for the opportunity when it comes, and to go after it and find it when it does not come, or that opportunity is to us,--nothing. Life is but a succession of opportunities. They are for good or evil,--as we make them.

All others can do for us is give us opportunity. We must always be ready when opportunity comes. When it does not come, we must go out and find it. Otherwise, opportunity means nothing to us. Life is simply a series of opportunities. They can be good or evil, depending on what we make of them.

Many of the alchemists of old felt that they lacked but one element; if they could obtain that one, they believed they could transmute the baser metals into pure gold. It is so in character. There are individuals with rare mental gifts, and delicate spiritual discernment who fail utterly in life because they lack the one element,--self-reliance. This would unite all their energies, and focus them into strength and power.

Many alchemists of the past believed they lacked only one element. If they could obtain it, they believed they could turn base metals into pure gold. The same is true of character. Some people have rare intellectual gifts and a keen spiritual understanding, yet fail completely in life because they lack one element: self-reliance. Self-reliance would bring all their energies together and focus them into strength and power.

The man who is not self-reliant is weak, hesitating and doubting in all he does. He fears to take a decisive step, because he dreads failure, because he is waiting for some one to advise him or because he dare not act in accordance with his own best judgment. In his cowardice and his conceit he sees all his non-success due to others. He is "not appreciated," "not recognized," he is "kept down." He feels that in some subtle way "society is conspiring against him." He grows almost vain as he thinks that no one has had such poverty, such sorrow, such affliction, such failure as have come to him.

A man who does not rely on himself is weak, hesitant, and doubtful in everything he does. He is afraid to take a decisive step. He fears failure, waits for someone to advise him, or dares not follow his own best judgment. In his cowardice and vanity, he blames others for all his failures. He is "not appreciated," "not recognized," and "kept down." He feels that in some subtle way "society is conspiring against him." He becomes almost proud of his troubles, thinking no one has suffered as much poverty, sorrow, hardship, or failure as he has.

The man who is self-reliant seeks ever to discover and conquer the weakness within him that keeps him from the attainment of what he holds dearest; he seeks within himself the power to battle against all outside influences. He realizes that all the greatest men in history, in every phase of human effort, have been those who have had to fight against the odds of sickness, suffering, sorrow. To him, defeat is no more than passing through a tunnel is to a traveller,--he knows he must emerge again into the sunlight.

A self-reliant man always seeks to discover and overcome the weakness within him that keeps him from achieving what he values most. He looks within himself for the strength to fight all outside influences. He realizes that all the greatest men in history, in every field of human effort, have had to fight against sickness, suffering, and sorrow. To him, defeat is like passing through a tunnel. He knows he will emerge into the sunlight again.

The nation that is strongest is the one that is most self-reliant, the one that contains within its boundaries all that its people need. If, with its ports all blockaded it has not within itself the necessities of life and the elements of its continual progress then,--it is weak, held by the enemy, and it is but a question of time till it must surrender. Its independence is in proportion to its self-reliance, to its power to sustain itself from within. What is true of nations is true of individuals. The history of nations is but the biography of individuals magnified, intensified, multiplied, and projected on the screen of the past. History is the biography of a nation; biography is the history of an individual. So it must be that the individual who is most strong in any trial, sorrow or need is he who can live from his inherent strength, who needs no scaffolding of commonplace sympathy to uphold him. He must ever be self-reliant.

The strongest nation is the most self-reliant, the one that has everything its people need within its own borders. Suppose all its ports are blockaded. If it lacks life’s necessities and the means to keep progressing, it is weak and held by the enemy. Then it is only a matter of time before it must surrender. Its independence depends on its self-reliance, its ability to sustain itself from within. What is true of nations is true of individuals. The history of nations is simply the story of individuals, magnified, intensified, multiplied, and projected onto the screen of the past. History is the biography of a nation. Biography is the history of an individual. So the person who is strongest in any trial, sorrow, or need must be able to live by inner strength. Such a person needs no scaffolding of ordinary sympathy for support. They must always be self-reliant.

The wealth and prosperity of ancient Rome, relying on her slaves to do the real work of the nation, proved the nation's downfall. The constant dependence on the captives of war to do the thousand details of life for them, killed self-reliance in the nation and in the individual. Then, through weakened self-reliance and the increased opportunity for idle, luxurious ease that came with it, Rome, a nation of fighters, became,--a nation of men more effeminate than women. As we depend on others to do those things we should do for ourselves, our self-reliance weakens and our powers and our control of them becomes continuously less.

Ancient Rome’s wealth and prosperity proved to be its downfall, as it relied on slaves to do the nation’s real work. Romans constantly depended on war captives to handle countless details of daily life. This destroyed self-reliance in both the nation and its people. As self-reliance weakened, Romans had more opportunity for idle, luxurious ease. Rome, once a nation of fighters, became a nation of men more effeminate than women. When we depend on others to do what we should do ourselves, our self-reliance weakens. Our abilities and our control over them continually diminish.

Man to be great must be self-reliant. Though he may not be so in all things, he must be self-reliant in the one in which he would be great. This self-reliance is not the self-sufficiency of conceit. It is daring to stand alone. Be an oak, not a vine. Be ready to give support, but do not crave it; do not be dependent on it. To develop your true self-reliance, you must see from the very beginning that life is a battle you must fight for yourself,--you must be your own soldier. You cannot buy a substitute, you cannot win a reprieve, you can never be placed on the retired list. The retired list of life is,--death. The world is busy with its own cares, sorrows and joys, and pays little heed to you. There is but one great password to success,--self-reliance.

To be great, a person must be self-reliant. You may not be self-reliant in everything, but you must be in the thing where you want to be great. This self-reliance is not the self-sufficiency of conceit. It is the courage to stand alone. Be an oak, not a vine. Be ready to give support, but do not crave it or depend on it. To develop true self-reliance, you must understand from the start that life is a battle you must fight for yourself. You must be your own soldier. You cannot pay someone to take your place, and you cannot win a reprieve. You can never retire from life. Retirement from life is death. The world is busy with its own cares, sorrows, and joys, and pays little attention to you. There is only one great password to success: self-reliance.

If you would learn to converse, put yourself into positions where you must speak. If you would conquer your morbidness, mingle with the bright people around you, no matter how difficult it may be. If you desire the power that some one else possesses, do not envy his strength, and dissipate your energy by weakly wishing his force were yours. Emulate the process by which it became his, depend on your self-reliance, pay the price for it, and equal power may be yours. The individual must look upon himself as an investment, of untold possibilities if rightly developed,--a mine whose resources can never be known but by going down into it and bringing out what is hidden.

If you want to learn to converse, put yourself in situations where you must speak. If you want to overcome your gloomy thoughts, spend time with the cheerful people around you, however difficult it may be. If you want an ability someone else has, do not envy their strength. Do not waste your energy merely wishing their strength were yours. Follow the process by which they gained it. Rely on yourself and pay the price, and equal power may be yours. Each person must see themselves as an investment, with untold possibilities if properly developed. Each is a mine whose resources can only be discovered by going down into it and bringing out what is hidden.

Man can develop his self-reliance by seeking constantly to surpass himself. We try too much to surpass others. If we seek ever to surpass ourselves, we are moving on a uniform line of progress, that gives a harmonious unifying to our growth in all its parts. Daniel Morrell, at one time President of the Cambria Rail Works, that employed 7,000 men and made a rail famed throughout the world, was asked the secret of the great success of the works. "We have no secret," he said, "but this,--we always try to beat our last batch of rails." Competition is good, but it has its danger side. There is a tendency to sacrifice real worth to mere appearance, to have seeming rather than reality. But the true competition is the competition of the individual with himself,--his present seeking to excel his past. This means real growth from within. Self-reliance develops it, and it develops self-reliance. Let the individual feel thus as to his own progress and possibilities, and he can almost create his life as he will. Let him never fall down in despair at dangers and sorrows at a distance; they may be harmless, like Bunyan's stone lions, when he nears them.

We can develop self-reliance by constantly trying to do better than we have before. We spend too much effort trying to surpass others. If we always try to surpass ourselves, we make steady progress. This brings all parts of our growth into harmony. Daniel Morrell was once president of the Cambria Rail Works. The works employed 7,000 men and made rails famous throughout the world. He was asked the secret of its great success. "We have no secret," he said, "except this: we always try to improve on our last batch of rails." Competition is good, but it has its dangers. It can lead us to sacrifice real worth for mere appearance, choosing what seems good over what is good. But true competition is with ourselves. We should try to do better now than we did in the past. This means real growth from within. Self-reliance produces this growth, and this growth develops self-reliance. If we approach our progress and possibilities this way, we can almost create our lives as we wish. We should never give up in despair over dangers and sorrows that lie ahead. They may be harmless when we come near them, like Bunyan's stone lions.

The man who is self-reliant does not live in the shadow of some one else's greatness; he thinks for himself, depends on himself, and acts for himself. In throwing the individual thus back upon himself it is not shutting his eyes to the stimulus and light and new life that come with the warm pressure of the hand, the kindly word and the sincere expressions of true friendship. But true friendship is rare; its great value is in a crisis,--like a lifeboat. Many a boasted friend has proved a leaking, worthless "lifeboat" when the storm of adversity might make him useful. In these great crises of life, man is strong only as he is strong from within, and the more he depends on himself the stronger will he become, and the more able will he be to help others in the hour of their need. His very life will be a constant help and a strength to others, as he becomes to them a living lesson of the dignity of self-reliance.

A self-reliant person does not live in the shadow of someone else's greatness. He thinks for himself, depends on himself, and acts for himself. This does not mean he ignores the encouragement, insight, and new life that true friendship brings. These come through a warm handshake, a kind word, and sincere expressions of friendship. But true friendship is rare. Like a lifeboat, its greatest value comes in a crisis. Many a supposed friend has proved to be a leaking, worthless "lifeboat" when the storm of adversity made him needed. In life's great crises, a person is only as strong as he is within. The more he depends on himself, the stronger he becomes. He also becomes better able to help others in their hour of need. His very life will be a constant source of help and strength to others. He will become a living example of the dignity of self-reliance.