“Independence? That’s middle class blasphemy. We are
all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.” Bernard Shaw
expected to provoke controversy with these words, but I would agree with
him that these days there is too much emphasis on independence. While
it is certainly true that excessive dependence on others is not a sign
of maturity, total independence of others is neither attainable nor
desirable: we need to be mature, and unselfish enough to recognize our interdependence.
Assignment:
Do we put too much emphasis on self-reliance and independence, and are
we afraid of admitting that we need other people in our lives? Plan
your response, and then write an essay…
