We all love the strong cowboy or the calm character in a movie. They’re usually the hero that saves the day.
The reason you like them is their confidence and charisma. These characteristics are a hint of what a self-reliant individual is.
The rugged individualist spirit is strong today like in America’s founding.
Continue reading below to further satisfy your curiosity.
1. Able to Adapt and Overcome
There’s one person in our lives that never seems stressed. They know how to keep their cool.
This person is your uncle, sister, or best friend.
If a hard situation arises, they don’t shrug their shoulders hoping the problem will go away. They stare it in the face with their ears and eyes wide open.
Marines, for example, are well-known for displaying this characteristic. They have the reputation of being the “first in and the last out” during war.
My grandfather- a proud U.S. Marine- confirmed this as true. He always spoke of a marine’s tenacity.
If you think about it, they have no other choice but the “can do attitude”. Marines are all alone facing ever-changing challenges in hostile situations.
Adapting and overcoming is altering your plans when they don’t go as intended. A self-reliant individual will change their boat’s course so it won’t run ashore.
2. Assume Responsibility for Decisions
The values of self-reliance dictate you understand your decisions have consequences. And you assume responsibility for the bad choices.
We’re human beings, and we aren’t perfect. Society has more respect for people who claim their mistakes.
Hiding behind someone is not something your confident, self-reliant movie character would do.
No one likes a coward. They come across as slimy.
What would happen in a professional setting if you blamed others for all your failures?
The question presented above is what we call the “victim mentality”. No one likes it because it assumes you’ll never escape your current situation.
Self-reliant people figure out how to continue moving forward. They learn from their mistakes but don’t make that their sole focus.
You assume responsibility for your relationships, decisions, and positions in life.
3. Caring and Sentimental at the Right Moments
Going full throttle all the time isn’t realistic. You don’t want to feel like a drill sergeant yells at you 24/7.
Self-reliant individuals have a reputation for not being kind-hearted.
Yet, a truly self-reliant person acknowledges other’s misfortunate situations or circumstances.
This brings human empathy and sympathy to the forefront.
Compassion emits like rays of sunshine through the light of fresh spring rain. It allows for the rainbow of hope to connect the forgotten to the hopeful.
What are some examples where these self-reliant characteristics shine?
The ability to develop friendships involves showing compassion for others.
Moreover, Dale Carnegie wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People. He mentions you must show genuine interest in someone to help them. Having a caring attitude raises your empathy meter to a 10/10.
Self-reliant people know that you must show the softer side of your personality in life.
4. Excellent Foresight on People’s Character
Entrepreneurs are traditional examples of self-reliant individuals. They must have a crystal ball-like insight to predict a person’s true intentions.
Part of a company’s survival is an employee’s character. If they hire bad people, the company culture’s business reflects who they hired.
In today’s world, people mask what they want for fear of retribution.
What have you concealed because you didn’t want to show the “real you”?
For instance, you didn’t state your opinion on an issue, which you regret too.
I’m guilty of the same. I remained silent on important issues leaving people wondering about my character. If you don’t speak, no one understands what’s important to you. And people start to question what you stand for. The rumor mill starts.
Thus, it is imperative to see past people’s shields and surface layers.
A basketball coach named John Wooden stated this famous quote about a person’s character:
“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
John Wooden
A self-reliant person will discover what makes people engage in conversation. And they will have an idea of what someone’s life is like in a less formal setting.
Don’t be so prideful to not apologize when it’s necessary. Self-reliant individuals know when they’re wrong.
5. Knows When to Apologize When They’re Wrong
Humans are imperfect. You or I don’t always know the right answer to the question asked.
We pretend to know. Is this the right course of action? Not always.
Society puts pressure on you to perform, perform, perform. Self-reliance contributes to this stress. The added tension causes us an overload like water about to boil over.
In response, we lash out. If you took a picture of us, the steam is pouring out of our heads by this point.
But good news exists.
You’re able to recover from your mistakes. A self-reliant person will know when they’re wrong from a cool-off period.
They’ll apologize to the wronged individual to remedy the situation.
Self-Reliance Related Tip Articles:
• Are you in a rut? I know you want to develop your self-reliance. LEARN MORE about individual self-reliance hacks.
• Let’s say you live in a community whether that is your family or church. How do you build self-reliance within a group of people? LEARN MORE by reading my article on secrets of community development toward self-reliance.
6. Passionate about Their Focus
Don’t you love being around people who adore what they do? I’m referring to someone’s personal and professional life.
They walk around with a radiating, positive attitude. You sneak peeks at them because you love their energy and confident vibes. They reverberate through your soul like strings on a guitar.
A self-reliant old soul will portray this quality. They have a “big picture” overview of life.
Individuals like this will dedicate themselves to their spouse or partner. They also are the people who randomly bring doughnuts to the office. Spreading their lemon zest and passion for life is a priority.
7. Excellent Leadership Skills Against All Odds
Using historical figures will portray this point well.
Do you know General George S. Patton, Ben Franklin, or Amelia Earhart?
All these individuals faced dire circumstances. Each required a dedicated resilience toward self-reliance when situations changed.
- General Patton led armored divisions against the Germans in World War II
- Ben Franklin represented American interests during the American Revolution
- Aviator Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the cold Atlantic Ocean.
How do you apply these examples to your life?
You must find hope in any situation. It is imperative.
Viktor Frankl authored a book called Man’s Search for Meaning. He survived World War II concentration camps. Hope and self-reliance kept him alive. His book is an emotional rollercoaster but worth the read.
His following quote sums up why hope is possible against all odds:
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Viktor Frankl
8. Resourceful Under Pressure
Your deadline is here. People are calling you wondering when you will give them what you promised.
Apparently, the clock didn’t work in your favor. You’re under pressure. What next?
A self-reliant person should be able to handle this situation.
First of all, prevention is the best way to solve this problem. However, now that you’re in it, let’s see what a self-reliant individual would do.
Overanalyzing the problem is what NOT to do. You’ve been in this situation before.
Ralph Waldo Emerson- a self-reliant author and advocate- emphasized intuition. Sometimes you have a hunch on how to fix a problem. Using your “gut feeling” is one of the best ways to be resourceful.
Moreover, have you ever applied for a job, and they give you these “fun” games to play? Do these games include remembering numbers in a certain order? Or associating words together?
If you want to play an interesting game, try Wordle. Start a timer to add a little fun element to it. It will give you practice under pressure that you control.
Their purpose is to see how resourceful you are under pressure. What a nasty trick, right?
According to the most recent American Psychological Association survey, 71% of employees report an immense amount of stress at work. This statistic displays that tension is coming whether you like it or not. Everyone experiences pressure.
Thus, self-reliant individuals prepare for the inevitable. But they’re able to use their instinct to help solve and remedy a situation quickly.
9. Continuously Learning New Information
Who likes to learn? I do.
Self-reliant people want constant feedback on their performances to increase proficiency and efficiency. You must feed your brain to be able to adapt.
Teachers graded you in school. You received marks from A to F. You never wanted to take an F home to your parents.
Professionals receive job performance reviews. Employers want the best employees. Why do you go to interviews? They must weed out the unqualified candidates. Thus, you’re graded from the hiring process to employment.
Do you find those constant business surveys annoying? Companies want feedback. Because they want to improve their customer experience.
Life is a learning process. You’re evolving every day.
A self-reliant person embraces it and doesn’t shun learning. Nor will they say they don’t want to acquire another skill.
All of us have different learning styles that we need to understand.
For me, I’m a visual learner. If you draw a picture of a concept you’re teaching me, I am more likely to remember the information.
According to a Pew Research study, 74% of adults believe in lifelong learning. I would translate this statistic to ¾ of people believe in self-reliant personality characteristics. You learn new concepts to eventually perform them on your own without instruction.
Live a life of learning. Marinate ideas in your head and then implement tests to prove or disprove what you believe to be true. That’s learning- trying and failing.
It never stops.
Which is your strongest personality trait?
J. LIberty
Fundamental Articles of Understanding:
• Do you like to know the roots of self-reliance? LEARN MORE from my premiere post on self-reliance and examine individualism and Emerson.
• America and the frontier are one. LEARN MORE about the rugged individualism movement and how the first wagon crossed the Oregon Trail.
References:
JOHN B. HORRIGAN. (2016, March 22). LIfelong Learning and Technology. Retrieved from Pew Research Center.
The American Workforce Faces Compounding Pressure: APA’S 2021 Well-Being and Survey Results. (2023). Retrieved from American Psychological Association .
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