Quotes About Self-reliance

fear that if I'm dependent on anything or anyone I can't control my life.

What I must do concerns me, not what people think.' 

He who would be a man must be a nonconformist.

Words can," Susan said. "And tone of voice. You're just so goddamned autonomous that you won't explain yourself to anybody.

One thing was certain, she was through depending on others--others who didn't care, who just wanted to keep out of trouble.

Leave us alone and we'll leave you alone, or else we will hunt you down wherever you are.

Parents with less than a high school education endorse obedience over self-reliance, 65 percent to 18 percent, whereas parents with a graduate education make exactly the opposite choice, 70 percent to 19 percent.

Indeed, many of the corporate titans who dominate the American imagination live by an ideology of individualism that barely masks selfishness and an air of superiority. A philosophy of supreme self-reliance is common, and the pursuit of unfettered self-interest is considered a laudable ethic to live by.

I think we got some work done, back at the start, because nobody knew us, nobody bothered us - and we had no money.

I would not come in. I meant not even if asked, And I hadn't been.

Never whine, never complain, never try to justify yourself.

Do not wait for a coronation; the greatest emperors crown themselves.

Too much respect for other people's wisdom will make you depreciate your own.

True ownership can come only from within. It comes from a disdain for anything or anybody that impinges upon your mobility, from a confidence in your own decisions, and from the use of your time in constant pursuit of education and improvement.

Remember: You have only so much energy and so much time. Every moment wasted on the affairs of others subtracts from your strength. You may be afraid that people will condemn you as heartless, but in the end, maintaining your independence and self-reliance will gain you more respect and place you in a position of power from which you can choose to help others on your own initiative.

Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies. Voltaire, 1694-1778

Clearing your head of everything you thought you knew, even your most cherished ideas, will give you the mental space to be educated by your present experience--the best school of all. You will develop your own strategic muscles instead of depending on other people's theories and books.

You must always be prepared to place a bet on yourself, on your future, by heading in a direction that others seem to fear.

To follow precisely the lead of others or advice from a book is self-defeating

Do not take so seriously people's promises or their ardor in wanting to help you. If they come through, so much the better, but be prepared for the more frequent change of heart. Rely upon yourself to get things done and you will not be disappointed.

It's my world, and I don't want any other. What it hasn't got is not worth having, and what it doesn't know is not worth knowing.

Once well underground, you know exactly where you are. Nothing can happen to you, and nothing can get at you. You're entirely your own master and you don't have to consult anybody or mind what they say. Things go on all the same overhead, and you let 'em, and don't bother about 'em. When you want to, up you go, and there the things are, waiting for you.

I told you I don't want to live like that anymore—for other people, what they think, what they believe. I don't think it's the way to live. It isn't for me anyway. All right. I wish I had your good sense. You're right, of course. Are you over it now? I'm getting there. Do you want another beer? No. But if you want more wine I'll sit here with you while you drink it. I'll just watch you.

She couldnt let that happen again. She would have to be strong. Fearless. Gird herself with righteous armor. She jumped when the door clicked shut. Oh great, that was real fearless of her.