What is independence for you?

The Term "independent women" is a weird one for me. At least in this time and age.

When female singers all of a sudden blurr about being oh so independent, I wonder: yeah? So whats the big deal?
In the Merriam Webster following extracts obviously refer to the independence of humans:

- not subject to control by others :self-governing
- not looking to others for one's opinions or for guidance in conduct
- not requiring or relying on others (as for care or livelihood) independent
of parents
- showing a desire for freedom

So another way of saying "I am independent" is basically saying I am "self-sufficient", no?
I have enough knowledge about things not to need you to tell me what to think.
Nor do I need another person to tell me how to behave.

Is this really something to be proud of and throw into another´s face, or should it not be taken for granted as it is part of growing up?

 

I think it should be just another part of growing up. Women shouldn't assume that they will have a man to rely on--even within a loving, healthy relationship.

I'll put it this way--I've been a stay at home mom for nearly eight years now and will continue to be for several more years at least but I've always made my own money in some way or the other doing jobs that I could with my children by my side. If my husband walked out on us today I could get a job to support us very closely to our current standard of living. I think that is important for a woman to be able to do whether or not she ever has to.

 

A life lived without reference to the popular notions of faith, culture, and society. Freedom for me frequently dovetails with iconoclasm and rejection of the path that history has left for us. If one takes the time to investigate, they'll discover that few things about life are necessary.

 

As part of my job, my "independence" is supposed to be one of the pillars of my ethical code. In a slightly different sense to those discussed - independence from any financial influences upon my decisions i.e. that I will provide legal advice free from any constraints of bribery, and free from any political or other influence, I think. Although, I have to say, it's still a word that I think about and sometimes wonder at the meaning of.

 

Side note - Saty is that you in your pic?

 

It's philosophical debate month at WWBM

Independence, to me, means the ability to survive, be happy, and have some type of purpose to my life regardless of anything else. To be mentally strong enough to handle whatever comes my way: not to fall victim to my emotions or irrationality to a level which stops me doing or achieving. To always swim when it could be possible to sink. Be unbeholden to any requirements of my culture or society with which I am not in agreeance and forge a path of truth and honesty for myself. And always, above else, remain happy and satisfied with myself.

Sounds more revolutionary than it is, I think.

 

I agree

 

If youre talking about it in the popular music sense, its saying "I have my own money" ie I am not a golddigger or after your cash cause I have my own. There are some who sing about it as having a little more depth than all that, but that's what most of the songs come down to.

 

To be a free independent thinker and not to be dictated as to how I should think, what I should believe and what I dream of as a possibility.

General George Patton once said "If everybody is thinking alike then someone is not thinking".

 

You sound a lot like my wife, your husband is a very lucky man. Rep added
:smt023

 

To me it means being able to make the choices that I think are right for my life, on my own terms.

It also means taking responsibility for the mistakes I have made and not blaming my failures on some else.

 

to me, independence is self-sufficiency, when you have your life (job, hobbies, friends) irrespectively of your status. I mean, if you have a boyfriend or a husband, you still have some of "your own things" in life and you're not too attached to your man. this is definitely a good thing to me!

 

This is one of the single most important things any human can learn and believe.

 

Co-sign. And unfortunately many people don't do that.

 

Independence- in a positive way is, when you never think of it. You just do, what you want.

Independence- in a negative way is, when you have nothing and nobody anymore. Then you are really free.

Nobody can be independent, that´s an illusion. But facettes of your life, you can try to live free as much as possible.

In my opinion, it´s a big difference between independence and to get dominated. Any try of dominating about a woman, must be responded by freeing herself immediatly,uncompromisingly.

 

To me it means that I get met on my level.. without predjudice and desire to control. Allow me to be who I am and trust me to do the right thing ... and revel in it.. Ill pay back with the same token.

Some take dependece to be such things as opening the door for a woman or pulling out the chair.. I can still be independent and love those things.

Allow me to be feminine, but still respect my thoughts and views and drive to be a sucessful woman at work - that can pay my bills and fix my toilet. I need you in so many other ways..

Oh lord, if men knew what power thay had in providing a quiet strong shoulder and treating us as a lady regardless of what power we have at work, they would be speachless.... they dont have to fix a thing, just BE! and you have us, mind, body and soul.

The moment somebody is trying to run my life and dissalow me to be "independent", thats when I put my runnig shoes on.

 

If I were meant to be independent in the truest sense of the word, I'd have been given this earth all to myself.

I think the desire to say "I'm independent" is more often than not a womanly desire. Evidenced by the female to male response ratio to this thread.

 

er., that could also have something to do with this thread having no sexual overtones at all. Quick, somebody post a picture of a woman with grotesquely bulbous and disproportionate ass.

 

Haha I think you're onto something there!

 

That's a good point.