Self-Reliance In A Brave New World

Words: 899
Pages: 4

Self reliance. Some believe you cannot thrive through self reliance, without the help of others. How could humans, social creatures, get through life and face issues? Others see it as safer, following one's own path and not being persuaded by others beliefs. At its core, self reliance is one’s abilities to face challenges using only oneself and not needing to ask for help.
Self reliance is a double edged sword. While it can help someone in their pursuit of happiness, self reliance often bleeds into selfishness. When you choose to rely on your own wants and needs, it begins to interfere with another's wants and needs, leading to disagreements and confrontations. In the Showtime series Dexter, Dexter Morgan only exemplified self reliance, especially when it came to protecting himself from the law as a serial killer. He distanced himself from his wife, his child, even his sister, knowing that if he were to let them in and try to protect them as well it would
…show more content…
Chris used his own ideals as a motivator to follow the path he draws. Chris did not care whether people understood him or not; like the fourth basic premise of Transcendentalism which states, “self-reliance and individualism must outweigh external authority and blind conformity to custom and tradition.” Jesus and Galileo, among many others, were ridiculed and persecuted for their beliefs during their time but chose to continue down their own paths anyway. Now, we see them as something great that brought something wonderful to us. It is the same with Chris McCandless, people may have ridiculed him for his beliefs when he was still alive, but now people see him as something much more. Chris said it best, "The only person you are fighting is yourself and your stubbornness to engage in new circumstances."(Krakauer 58). Chris McCandless let his determination lead him on his own adventures and refused to comply with our societal