‘Self-sufficiency’ is the quality of feeling secure and content with oneself, a deep-rooted sense of inner completeness and stability. On a superficial level, it’s similar to ‘secure self-esteem’ – it’s an estimation of oneself as a worthy and decent person. But it goes deeper than secure self-esteem, in that it’s not just a cognitive but also an affective state – that is, it’s a feeling of fundamental wholeness and well-being.
Rather than thinking in terms of ‘high’ or ‘low’ – as with self-esteem – it seems more appropriate to use the terms ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ for self-sufficiency. People with strong ‘self-sufficiency’ aren’t too concerned with other people’s opinions of them. Slights don’t affect them so much, because they have a deep-rooted sense of their own worth. Conversely, praise and blame don’t affect them too much either, so that they never become too carried away with their own good fortune or self-importance.
The same applies to negative or positive life events: people with strong ‘self-sufficiency’ are less likely to be de-stabilised by them. This doesn’t mean that they’re inhuman monsters who don’t feel any emotion, just that they have a strong internal ‘centre of gravity’ which means that they’re likely to be stoical and philosophical about negative events, and to bounce back quickly. Their inner sense of well-being and completeness means that they’re more resilient to the vicissitudes of life.
‘Self-sufficiency’ is associated with certain traits. ‘Self-sufficient’ people have a strong internal ‘locus of control’. That is, they have the ability – and the desire - to determine their own course, to make their own decisions, rather than having their life choices made my others. They trust in their own instincts, and are prepared to go their own way, even if it means going against the expectations of others, and so facing incomprehension and ridicule.
‘Self-sufficient’ people are authentic. They tend not to play roles, or to be dishonest or misleading just to please. Their inner stability and wholeness means that it’s not so important for them to gain affirmation or respect from others, so they may be prepared to risk being disliked by speaking truthfully. If you show them a poem or a painting and ask them, ‘What do you think?’ be prepared for them to give an honest assessment. Fundamentally, they’re not so interested in trying to impress other people, and so it’s possible for them to be more authentic.
And in terms of their lifestyles, self-sufficient’ people are happy with their own company. They may be social and sociable to a normal degree, but they also enjoy solitude. Whereas some people find solitude and quietness difficult to endure, and use diversions and distractions (like the Internet or television) to avoid them, self-sufficient people are perfectly happy to be alone with themselves. And because of their inner stability and wholeness, they’re less likely to seek the compensations of material goods and status. They’re less likely to need expensive possessions to feel good about themselves, or to seek fame or power to make themselves feel more significant.
Author: Steve Taylor