Self-sufficiency means different things to different people. The definition Google gave me is “The quality or condition of being self-sufficient,” which is about as clear as mud, right? Some define it as producing everything they need themselves. Others define themselves as being “food self sufficient” or specify another area and that makes them ‘self-sufficient.’ In my opinion, all of these answers are correct.
Most people tend to think of self sufficiency as being wholly reliant upon oneself, living out in the woods without any outside influence. Regardless of how you define it, there are certain aspects of being self sufficient that are simply untrue. I have heard and been asked about a few of these myself. Here, we debunk them and explain why.
Truly Self Sufficient – This one cracks me up! “I want to be 100% self-sufficient!” While there are people who do provide the large majority of their needs, no one is 100% self sufficient. The saying, “No person is an island” was probably coined to describe this very topic. With the way the world and humanity are so intricately intertwined on a global scale now, no one can truly provide absolutely everything for themselves. Humans are community oriented mammals. We need each other, and not just to share the workload. Even if you prefer your own company over others, people still need contact with other people. It’s just how we are built. Why do you think ‘isolation’ is used as a disciplinary tactic in jails?
Hate People – I told someone once that I wanted to move to another island and be more self sufficient. Their first question was, “What? Do you hate people or something?” Really? Why is it that people who prefer to provide the majority of their needs in an area that more easily allows farming and animals have to ‘hate people’ or be a hermit? No, I do not hate people and no, I do not want to be a hermit. I just prefer to have more control over my food source and how it is processed. I prefer to be responsible for my own heating needs instead of relying on electricity or propane to heat my home. It’s more satisfying to me to walk out my door and harvest a dead tree than it is to pay hundreds of dollars (a month) to some company who doesn’t even show up on time with fuel.
Have you ever been asked any of these questions? Give us a comment below!
Never Buy Anything New/Hate Money – “You can’t be ‘self-sufficient’ if you buy stuff at the store!” This is one of the most ignorant statements I have dealt with. Do you think the homesteaders of old, who worked toward self sufficiency for their basic needs didn’t go to the trading post to get rice and cloth? When it comes to money, it is a necessary evil and one that cannot easily be left out of the equation. If you think about the fundamentals of bartering, it isn’t much different than using money. You are exchanging one set of goods for another. I don’t know of any single homestead that can produce all the cloth, tools, wood, food, and everything else we need by themselves. Then add in the skill sets needed to produce furniture, housing, and metal tools. It takes a community!
Something to Hide – Some people cannot understand why I would prefer to go out into a rural area and set up hearth and home there. They find it odd that I would rather be surrounded by trees than buildings and traffic. To them, it’s abnormal behavior so their mind tries to come up with reasons a person would willingly choose to live like that. The idea of catching rainwater and plumbing only cold water into the house sounds like the beginning of a horror flick to them: *Gasp!* “What will you do for hot water?” Well, I will heat the cold water. Funny how that works, eh? I’m getting off track here, but many people view the desire to move to a rural area and carve out a more simple lifestyle as hiding or running away from something, which brings us to our last myth.
Running From Something – I can say for myself that I’m running more to something than from it. I’m sure that history has plenty of people who have run off into the woods to get away from the law, or some bad people, or memories. Those would be more of the exception than the rule. The vast majority of people who choose to be self-sufficient by producing their own food and harvesting their own supplies would be running more from the rat race than anything else.
Have you heard of other myths about homesteading or being self-sufficient? Give us a comment below!
“Running to something” is a great description of it. I like being around people. Isolation is not my thing. However, I like being out where I can’t hear the freeway, and I can see the Milky Way at night. That’s what I run to.
Maybe I will see you on the path, we run to the same thing too! 🙂 Merry Christmas Prepper Farm and thank you for the comment!
Love your article & it is so true!!
Thank you!! 🙂
Auto-suficiencia não existe de fato. O que existe é você elevar o seu grau de autonomia. Auto-suficiencia é a bússola que aponta a direção. Ou seja, trabalhar, criar, produzir para depender cada vez menos de fontes externas.
Self-sufficiency does not really exist. What exists is you raise your level of autonomy. Self-sufficiency is the compass that points the direction. That is, work, create, produce to depend less on external sources.
I can agree with that line of thinking. We are built to need each other to thrive. The problem is humanity, especially Americans, are more consumers than producers and that is where a lot of problems started. Thank you for the comment and food for thought!
I always thought that self-sufficiency had to do with not needing to be cared for by a government entity AND growing/raising my own food meant that I knew what was in it.
I would agree with that definition. I would also agree with another definition that had nothing to do with government entities because, at the end of the day, all the definitions are correct. Each person’s idea of self sufficiency is as different as the individual – for the most part. In my opinion, being self sufficient means you try your best to provide your own needs and lessen your reliance on the world at large. Thanks for the thought provoking comment! 🙂