Developing Self - Reliance (1951)

[Music] did you ever watch a baby being fed you can see how completely we depend on others when we're very small a baby just can't do much of anything for himself of course as we grow older most of us begin to strike out for ourselves we begin to develop something called self-reliance often though we're restrained we aren't given enough freedom to develop self-reliance it's much easier to put Junior's snowsuit on him than wait for him to do it himself and before long Junior sees too that it's much easier to let others wait on him he begins to like being dependent why take care of your own pet if someone else will do it for you why struggle with your lessons if you can get Dad to help this is an easy way to get by the trouble is if you're not self-reliant you'll never do any more than just get by come in I've been working on this uh problem I wonder if you can help me let see look why do you bother me with something simple like this something I'm paying you to decide you'll never get a head around here or anywhere else unless you can make some decisions of your own yes sir and that's what can happen when you don't learn self-reliance Mr car are you trying to tell me that I'm not self-reliant why Alan I didn't say anything about you but I find it often helps to paint that picture for students like you who come to me complaining that they don't feel they're accomplishing much little dose of self-reliance can do wonders any one of us could use a bit more than we have all right Mr Carson I think I understand just how do you become self-reliant oh you want a quick easy formula HH I'm afraid there isn't any learning to be self-reliant takes time and hard work it take self-reliance Mr Carson it almost does here this card may interest you these are the steps to self-reliance as I see them assume responsibility be informed know where you're going make your own decisions I'm not sure I understand well let's figure them out together sit down first assume responsibility what do you suppose that means well assume responsibility that means to take the blame for things that are my fault uhhuh looking after your own schoolwork planning your own time depending upon yourself to be on time on time boy I better assume responsibility for getting to my next class on time and Alan why don't you assume the responsibility for figuring out what those other steps mean yeah I will that's a good idea thanks Mr Carson assume responsibility do things for yourself not a bad idea at that what's the next thing on this card be informed well it's easy to see why you should be informed in class you have to get facts and information in order to keep up H you have to know where to get information too but why be informed about other things besides school work well better get after the school work now Mom you think I look right this way or should I wear a tie well that depends on where you're going will you be expected to wear a tie be informed what dear oh no nothing thanks Mom I'll figure it out myself let's see we'll go to the movies and then to ant's house for snacks I might meet an's parents better wear a tie be informed that can answer a lot of problems yeah that's better are you leaving right away Alan no Jack's coming by for me see there's something that I've been wanting to ask you have you decided on what courses you're going to take next year oh no I don't know what to take Dad Jack's going to take American literature and Eddie signed up for speech class but I don't know what I want to take well I hope you don't let your friends lead you around this way what will you get out of these courses what do you want to get out of there if you know what you want in life know where you're going make your own decisions what in the world are you talking about oh well I sort of want to develop a little self-reliance Mr Carson gave me this self-reliance huh well that's a good thing are these from Emerson Emerson sure haven't you read Emerson's essay on self-reliance I think we have a copy of it here somewhere well I think you'll find it on the third shell thanks dear the foundation of our way of life someone once called it oh yes here it is South Rance by Ralph Waldo Emerson I learned a lot from this essay when I was your age thanks Dad I'll read it you may have to if you take American literature I think I'll read it no matter what course I take what about those courses dad will you give me a little time to think I have a lot of work to do before I make any decisions sure oh there's Jack Bye Mom bye goodbye now you may think that's the end of Allen story actually it's only the beginning Alan learned very quickly the meaning of the steps to self-reliance but it takes quite a long while to make self-reliance a habit I watched Alan for several months I saw how he assumed responsibility for example he took a job on the student forum and worked at it seriously I saw how he kept himself informed he studied hard he read more than just the assignments he talked to people and listened to them he wanted to be informed and he never missed a chance to learn something I saw how Allan found where he was going he came to me sometimes for advice but he never asked me to decide for him he thought seriously about his goals his purposes I saw how he learned to make decisions for himself always on the basis of the best information he could get and then just the other day at another student Forum meeting I saw Allan show how really self-reliant he has become the students were quite upset about our parking situation around the school but no one was able to offer much of a solution that is until Alan spoke up just what is the problem those who drive to school can't keep on parking in the street I understand it's too narrow that's why we've been getting tickets there we'll just have to find another place for our cars and motorbikes I've been looking into this you know since we got the new tennis courts maybe the old ones just north of the school building could easily be made into a parking space we could do what little work there is and we could ask the principal for his approval yeah but who will you ask him well sure if you want me to I'll take on that responsibility yes sir that was self-reliance the kind we can all use it's hard work to become self-reliant but these are the steps assume responsibility be informed know where you are going make your own decisions Allan learned to do it and he's certainly a happier and a better person for it will you develop the habit of self-reliance