A principle that I personally live by is independence to the
fullest extent. Independence is a simple value held true in the U.S. To be
independent, is to follow your dreams, to fight for your rights to do what you
please. I hold this value very close to my heart and chose to live everyday by
it. Of course independence is limited by laws and what other values we hold as
true. Our choices to do what makes us happy are all powered by holding our
independence as a true value.
Doing what makes you feel liberated and happy will hold true
no matter the circumstance. For example, in the book The Road by
Cormac McCarthy, a father and son are living in a post-apocalyptic world in
which very few values have been preserved. Most important to them is to refrain
from succumbing to the cannibalism that seems to engulf them. Yet, independence
is still respected. Although under extreme circumstances, one may not see
the evidence of independence thriving without society. People do as they
please, and fight for the ability to live a free life.
To be independent is to be free and
self-reliant. The man and his son are following their self-reliance, and are
engaged in a daily battle to stay independent of other dominating people found
along the road. Together they show that to be free of cannibalism, ravenous
packs of murders, and starvation.