Dear Friends,
It seems to me, wise people seek to be as independent as possible. This includes, but isn’t limited to, independence from the grid, the ability to stand on your own two feet, a personal source of water, emotional stability, a lone wolf mentality that doesn’t follow crowds, as well as cultivating skills. Not to become hermits… but to be of use in times of trouble and not needy when chaos arises. These attributes are all earned not inherited. We must plant the seeds, water them with our intentions, and our actions make them flower. The fruit comes after, when we have those abilities, and stuff that makes us independent instead of a burden. Those who are not independent are by definition burdensome. They may pitch in but at best they are a well functioning cog, not an innovator who improves.
Those who are independent are the source of the capital for institutions, the people, and governments. Their savings, ability to do things, and lack of need, creates the situation where others can borrow money, live in safety, and even become indigent if that’s their goal. Those who are not independent, the dependent, often must be on the dole… and thus drain capital, waste labor, and become envious. The more independent people there are in a nation the stronger that nation is by every measure. Even as the more dependent people in a nation the weaker it becomes by every measure. Which sets up a tension for the elite. Machiavelli said a wise prince seeks a way to make his people dependent to ensure their loyalty. Though, such a State must become weak in every way, other than in loyalty to the sugar daddy.
This exposes another reason why smart people seek to become as independent as possible… so they don’t become mindless automatons dependent on a meal ticket. Dependents who dare not have a whit of agency, or else it endangers their monthly government check. So even when a government tries to make you dependent… you aren’t. Because those who maintain their independence are heroes, saving society from the worst incentives of the elite and people. These perverse incentives which, left unchecked, destroy civilizations. The elite want a strong country so they can project that strength against their neighbors, but want a dependent people so we don’t get too uppity. This is why the easy path is the one to dependence while the harder path is the one to independence.
It’s easy to learn nothing, do nothing, and contribute nothing, but it can be difficult to learn, act and contribute. People are like water and electricity, we seek the easy path, which is why so many ride the recliner to dependence. Even as the smarter path is the one to independence. Not simply because that path makes us a bulwark against the perverse incentives of the world but because it gives us inner strength, intermixed with humility, while the dependent are often as arrogant as they are draining. The independent become synergistic with society. Independent people contribute with their labor, leading by example, and their mere presence forestalls a society’s decline. Then again, when has the easy path been the right path? Though the hard path, for whatever reason, is always the easier path in the end.
If we agree that wise and smart people seek to become independent in every way possible, how do we do it? Firstly, I think education is paramount. Learning abilities and skills like carpentry, wiring, plumbing, weaving rope from fiber, finding water, identification of edible plants, etc… these are abilities that allow one to stay on one’s feet in times of crisis. Then there’s personal independence. What if the water goes out? What if you lose electricity and gas while it’s the middle of winter? Will you have to find shelter, or will you be able to weather it at home? That’s personal independence. Then there’s mental independence. This is an ability honed through suffering that allows us to tolerate disrespect, loss, and disappointment. So I have to ask, do you want to be wise and smart… or a parasite?
Sincerely,
John Pepin
