Back to: Jss1 Civic Education (NVE)

Introduction

When a person is self-sufficient, they are able to look inside themselves for the fortitude that will enable them to face the challenges that they face on a daily basis. A child learns how to cultivate his or her inner strength when they are instructed on how to anticipate challenges and find solutions to those challenges. Therefore, the ability to fend for oneself independently is an important life skill for children to develop.

Meaning of Self Reliance

Self Reliance refers to the state of being financially and economically independent through making use of one’s talents and skills in order to earn a living for oneself. Instead of being wholly dependent on the economies of other countries, a nation can work towards self-sufficiency by concentrating on its own resources and finding productive ways to put them to use, rather than looking to other nations for solutions.

Instead of being a burden on the government, an independent citizen is someone who can help find solutions to problems. Instead of looking for a job, he gives jobs to other people, which lowers the unemployment rate.

Being independent of other people is what we mean when we talk about self-reliance. This presents us with an opportunity to take charge of our life and set an example for those around us. Being able to fend for ourselves grants us a tremendous deal of independence. A child who learns early on how to fend for themselves will mature into independent and self-assured adult.

Attributes of Self-Reliance

1. Self-awareness: Self-reliant individuals possess self-awareness, which enables them to understand their strengths, weaknesses, values, and goals. This self-knowledge helps them to make informed decisions and take responsibility for their lives.
2. Resourcefulness: Self-reliant individuals are resourceful and find ways to overcome challenges and achieve their goals, even when faced with limited resources or obstacles. They are creative in finding solutions and don’t rely solely on external sources of support.
3. Initiative: Self-reliant individuals take initiative and are proactive in pursuing their goals. They don’t wait for others to take action or rely on external factors to dictate their lives.
4. Accountability: Self-reliant individuals take accountability for their actions and decisions. They accept responsibility for their mistakes and learn from them rather than blaming others.
5. Persistence: Self-reliant individuals are persistent and resilient in the face of obstacles or setbacks. They don’t give up easily and keep pushing forward towards their goals.
6. Adaptability: Self-reliant individuals are adaptable and able to adjust to changing circumstances. They are flexible in their thinking and approach, which allows them to find new solutions when faced with unexpected challenges.
7. Confidence: Self-reliant individuals have confidence in themselves and their abilities. They believe in their capacity to achieve their goals and are not easily deterred by criticism or negative feedback.
8. Self-motivation: Self-reliant individuals are self-motivated and don’t require external incentives to take action or pursue their goals. They have a strong internal drive to succeed.
9. Independence: Self-reliant individuals are independent and don’t rely on others to fulfil their needs or make decisions for them. They are self-sufficient and can manage their lives without external assistance.
10. Open-mindedness: Self-reliant individuals are open-minded and willing to learn from others. They seek out new knowledge and perspectives to improve themselves and their lives. They don’t believe they have all the answers and are open to feedback and criticism.

Process of Discovering One’s Talents

Inborn capabilities are referred to as talents. It is common to refer to someone as gifted in a particular profession if they possess extraordinary skills in a particular area. For instance, athletics, physics, mathematics, writing, and so on are all examples.

Discovering one’s talents can be done in a number of different ways. 

Methods Used to Develop Talent

The following are some of the different methods that are used to cultivate talents.

1. Through deliberate and consistent practice: One’s abilities can be improved through this method. Reading and writing in substantial amounts should be constant practises for an individual who has determined that one of their skills lies in writing.

2. Communicating and interacting with other people who possess talents comparable to one’s own: This will assist the individual in learning the fundamentals of the job.

3. Having a mentor is an excellent way to cultivate one’s skills and abilities. It is important to choose a mentor and model our behaviour after theirs if we want our skills to improve. It’s possible that this pattern will continue until the person is old enough to develop his or her own distinctive sense of style.

4. Having faith in one’s own abilities is an extremely significant factor. To develop your skill, you need to have faith in it and resist the temptation to get sidetracked by the opinions of other people or enticed by financial gain to pursue something that is not in line with your natural abilities.

Consequences of Undeveloped talent

A talent that is not developed is comparable to a missed chance. It has repercussions, both on an individual level and for society in general as a whole. The following are some outcomes that can result from a skill going undeveloped:

1. A skill that is not cultivated can lead to a life that is not fulfilled since the individual may choose employment that provides them with little or no satisfaction.

2. An undeveloped talent might result in a lack of greatness in a variety of spheres of life, given that some people who work in specific professions were never meant to work in such professions in the first place.

3. The failure to develop one’s talents might lead to a lack of professionalism because it is difficult to find people with the skills necessary to perform particular occupations.

4. A skill that is not cultivated can result in economic waste since people who are capable of doing specific jobs may find themselves working in alternative industries.