Self-sufficient People: Who Are They?

Self-reliant people combine healthy self-esteem and a particular taste for independence. They prefer to decide for themselves without having to depend on others, they are not afraid of loneliness and are often difficult to understand because they do not follow any convention. Beyond these characteristics, they are defined by their extraordinary freedom of thought.

When we visualize the word “self-reliance”, the first thing that comes to mind is the image of someone who usually doesn’t need anyone and who is totally self-sufficient to survive. However, this term contains valuable components from a psychological point of view.

It is worthwhile to deepen this concept in order to develop it correctly, abandon stereotypes and integrate it into the repertoire of our personal growth.

In reality this concept is not entirely synonymous with detachment, it does not mean being the classic outsider who does not need anything or anyone. Self-reliance is the art of relying on yourself.

Self-sufficient people: the five cornerstones that define them

When it comes to self-sufficiency, it is common to refer to the person who is considered its true guru: the ecologist John Seymour. It was he, in fact, who started a movement that involved thousands of people to change their lifestyle during the 60s and 70s. With books like The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It , he has encouraged people to make revolutionary changes.

Many of these transformations involved abandoning office or factory life to live in the countryside. This has led, for example, to the emergence in the UK of alternative communities of groups of people leading an environmental movement.

The first thing these hundreds of (mostly young) men and women have discovered is that self-reliance takes a lot of effort. It was not easy to stay out of the system and survive only thanks to the land and what it offered. However, something more important happened.

Many realized that economic self-reliance was not viable through that lifestyle, instead developing psychological self-reliance. That is, they learned to think and decide for themselves and to have a more critical view of things. Let’s see what other traits define self-reliant people:

Personal safety and satisfaction

We were born as completely dependent creatures on our parents. The truth is that it is very difficult to acquire that independence and self-sufficiency to get by on your own in any aspect: emotional, social and economic.

It is common that during a good part of our life we ​​feel attached to many of our close figures. The acquisition of full independence in all aspects implies the development of good self-confidence.

Then, when we discover what we are capable of, satisfaction comes with who we are, with our potential and value. All this is connected to the thread of self-esteem and self-love, essential elements in people who define themselves as self-sufficient.

They feel they are the only ones responsible for their own life

Self-sufficient people are defined by an indisputable pillar: they love to feel responsible for their own life. And what does this mean? It means they don’t leave their decisions on the shoulders of others. They do not depend on what others do, say or expect from them.

They are reluctant to meet the expectations of others; they are limited to following only their own desires, personal goals and aspirations at every stage of their life. They also accept their own mistakes and failures. Only in this way do they acquire valuable lessons to move forward in their life path.

Self-reliant people enjoy great emotional intelligence

There is a very special and characteristic trait in self-sufficient people. They tend to spend a lot of time with themselves and this contact with their loneliness allows them to learn to regulate their emotions.

The self-knowledge that traces their essence is combined with the ability to manage feelings, rationalize thoughts and regulate their behavior at all times.

Skill in emotional intelligence drives that existential self-satisfaction so common in self-reliant men and women.

They focus on what is under their control and accept what is out of their control.

Self-sufficiency is above all having life under control and feeling free to decide your own path. There is one aspect that defines this type of personality. They know many things that are beyond their control, beyond their ability to control their surroundings.

Disappointments, losses, crises, twist of fate. There are countless aspects that cannot be foreseen. However, self-reliant people accept them, know how to cope with adversity, and always try to survive any circumstance.

They are neither cold nor detached, they value the authenticity of each moment

Sometimes, this independence of character can make us think that they have a cold personality and that they always try to distance themselves. However, none of this is entirely true. Self-reliant people appreciate emotional closeness, but are demanding when it comes to bonding.

They appreciate authenticity, sincere affection, true friendship, alliances that enrich and do not limit or veto their freedom. They are figures of our society who do not need to prove anything to anyone, but who are pleased with the bonds they cultivate and who know how to respect their way of being above all.