Self-reliance is a noble concept. It sounds great on paper to not need anyone else.
But there is a fundamental problem in this concept. You are stuck all alone. What you don’t know and don’t have will end up killing you.
- Don’t know how to take care of that animal that got sick? Guess you are winging it.
- Missing a key part to repair your pump? Sorry, you don’t get water today.
- Broken tools? Time to learn how to forge new ones from raw ore.
It’s a trap that everyone falls into. If I do everything alone, if I have it all then I won’t need anyone should the end come. It all falls apart rather quickly when you hit bumps in the road.
Let’s look at the past for a second.
The early settlers arrive by ship not as one single family. There were 102 passengers on the Mayflower, made up of families and individuals. A group of 102 people with diverse skills came together to build a new start.
Unless you have a ton of children, and they all have children who can share the load, it just won’t work. Going at it alone is a sure way to die. And end up taking your whole family down with you.
As civilization moved west, it was rarely done as a single family alone. The wagon trains traveled in groups. As a group they could survive. Alone that wagon would be likely lost. Even the Amish live in communities and work together as a group.
Look around your house right now. Did you buy anything at the store? Now try to recreate that thing without anyone or anything else.
Becoming self-reliant and self-sufficient takes you a chunk of the way. It allows you to prepare yourself the best you can. After that, community steps in and carries you the rest of the way. Just as you will carry them in their times of need.
It’s about working together for the common good, more that it’s about being selfish and avoid everyone and everything. Sure, the single hermit living in the forest might get by for a little while. But family and external forces complicate this concept.
A community is best built before the world ends. Start today getting to know those you want in your group. Work together for your common good.
Gain the skills to bring something to the table. Do what you can alone. And learn when you need to ask for help.
Focus on self-reliance to prepare yourself and your family. Then expand outward to build your group. Grow both at the same time to see true success.