"We... until we're pretty well along, are utterly dependent on our parents and society. So a psychology of dependency is developed. A psychology of submission, asking for approval, expecting reproof, and all of this sort of thing. But, how are we going to break out of that psychological bondage? Into self responsible authority, courage for what our thoughts are, and our life? This is a problem of killing the infantile ego, which is one of dependency, and coming into a mature ego which is one of authority."
American society is built on submission and a psychology of dependency. A man who sacrifices his life, making his living doing something he's not passionate about or even flat out dislikes is a real man. There's a "suck it up and do what you have to do attitude." (Dependency on what other people think, a lack of courage and authority to live an authentic life.)
America is a culture of submissiveness and dependency. Each individual's work is to transcend the child-like ego of dependency to a mature ego of self authority. A state cannot exist in a society of mature adults.
Our work isn't to make changes in the system, our work is to individually become adults. Clanging around asking the government to please give us more liberties is like being a 30-year-old who continues to live with their parents, begging them to remove their curfew and give them fewer chores instead of just moving out and becoming an independent adult.
I really like this, and then we must teach our children how valuable they are as free thinking beings, and not expect them to conform.
Excellent Brightstar, agreed 1,000%! Yes there is a psychology of dependence and submission formed early, but it's not an automatic life sentence. If we, as mothers and fathers, do our kids justice, they will make the transition, with our loving help, from the age of minority to that of majority. We are either governed by ourselves, or we are governed by the state, and at the age of majority, one need no state. I would only say that it is the U.S. (a democracy) that is a culture of submissiveness and dependency, for the U.S IS the state. Only in America (the republic) will we find the age of majority. It is sparsely populated at present. Here's to hoping that changes. Thanks for the great post.