As many of our readers join us on our beautiful campus as freshmen, they will experience for the first time what is perhaps the most attractive aspect of college life: a taste of true independence. They are no longer cemented into the cliques of their hometown or bound by the narrow curriculum of their high school, and choosing their friends, values, and path in life is for once a task left entirely up to themselves. But this is often as frightening as it is liberating; the curse of independence is the burden of responsibility. For some, the weight of this burden is not worth the claim to independence. The significance of independence has been forgotten, and with it the moral and pragmatic advantages it brings have vanished. It is important that we proudly and decisively take hold of our independence and all that comes with it.
No man is an island, or so the unchallenged maxim goes. But it is a common mistake to take this too far in assuming that being a proudly independent person must make you a lonely individual. Do not mistake isolation – the refusal to give or take, the inability to love or be loved – as independence. To function in a society or love your community does not make you less independent. The independent person is not the one who never accepts help, but the one who never demands it.
That being said, there is still a satisfaction earned by refusing unnecessary aid. Hard work is the burden of financial independence, but the reward is well worth it. Those who enjoy food without the taste of labor do not realize the bitterness mixed in with their sustenance. Millennials in particular have grown accustomed to this bitterness. Studies have shown that we, more than other generations, are most likely to live with our parents well into adulthood. Certainly some of this is due to a drastically different economic climate, but even simple gestures of independence – like obtaining a driver’s license – are on the decline amongst our age group. If we lose the drive to be self sufficient, we will forfeit the joy of living. To earn your own happiness – never at the expense of others, but by the surplus of your own talent and passions – is a reward quite unlike any other.
In addition to shrugging off financial dependence, every person needs to be independent on a more personal level; that is, to be liberated from the opinions and demands of others. To be independent means to determine your own values and decide your own path, never getting deterred by the endlessly varying expectations of others, never being made to feel guilty for loving what you love. Be active in identifying right from wrong, then defend what is right and condemn what is wrong no matter which way the crowd points. Being independent means raising your voice above the baaing of the sheep even when no one will listen – but before you can speak for yourself, you must first think for yourself. The independence of the mind comes with the responsibility of expanding your horizons.
To be individually minded does not only mean to refuse to submit yourself to the arbitrary demands of others, but also to never impose your particular values upon another. Any time you demand that others live for your sake you are attempting to deny them their independence. Everyone has as much a right to their own pursuit of happiness as you do to yours. Your view on this will necessarily have an effect on the political climate. It is not a coincidence that the Declaration of Independence led to the creation of the freest nation of its time; those who most seek independence are least likely to live as tyrants.The link between independent-minded citizens and liberty-preserving governments must not be viewed as a correlation without causation. So, if you want to be free tomorrow, you must claim your independence today.
