I also believe strongly in self reliance and the power of the individual to affect their environment.
To me though, that makes the seemingly increased focus as of late immensely frustrating, because to me, it's seeking to take away agency from people.
Exactly the _worst_ thing you can do to someone who's in a bad situation is tell them that they're just helpless and that's how it's gonna be.
Feeling like you have no control over your life situation is not an ingredient that will produce a healthy mind. There's a fine line between having an awareness of your limits and fighting for what's right, and running around blaming all of your problems on others.
The article seemed to be more about appreciating the networks that have allowed the author to be successful (in her case especially the authors she has discovered in her neighborhood bookstore). I don't think anyone is telling people in bad situations that they shouldn't bother trying to help themselves; rather, we are suggesting that no successful person becomes successful alone.
Right, but that's completely self evident and thus pointless to discuss.
I'm typing to you from a screen that I couldn't produce alone, that's ignoring the 50 billion other objects in my life that depend directly or indirectly on the activities of others. An entire article isn't needed in order to make that viewpoint clear.
I address this in a post above - it's a strange cartoonish stereotype that there are people out there who think that they are completely 'self-made'. Those that advance it in public as a genuine belief are either mentally ill, or deliberately playing a character.
I also believe strongly in self reliance and the power of the individual to affect their environment.
To me though, that makes the seemingly increased focus as of late immensely frustrating, because to me, it's seeking to take away agency from people.
Exactly the _worst_ thing you can do to someone who's in a bad situation is tell them that they're just helpless and that's how it's gonna be.
Feeling like you have no control over your life situation is not an ingredient that will produce a healthy mind. There's a fine line between having an awareness of your limits and fighting for what's right, and running around blaming all of your problems on others.