Protect, Guard and Value Your Independence
Dr Vernon Coleman
Protect, guard and value your independence.
You will find that few things are easier to part with or harder to regain. Your independence is your intellectual virginity and you should respect it and clutch it tightly to your bosom.
You will find that there are many, many people in the world who will willingly pay you well for your independence. Countries, organisations and companies will all delight in paying you a good price for your independence.
Resist them and their entreaties as you would resist the entreaties of the devil for your soul.
While you still possess your independence they will treat you with caution and respect. They will be courteous and thoughtful, generous and even honourable.
But once they have bought your independence and they own your spirit then they will treat you with contempt. They will tell you how to live your life; they will tell you what to wear; they will tell you how to behave; they will tell you what is honest and what is not honest and they will expect you to be obedient and unquestioning.
Beware of their wiles and their deceits; beware of the subtle ways in which they will endeavour to purchase your independence from you.
Do not let them own you by making you promises, by allowing you to fall into debt with them, by praising you or by rewarding you with status or authority. Beware of your weaknesses and your ambitions; they will use these to worm their way into your soul.
Protect yourself by being loyal only to people, never to organisations.
And never allow yourself to be persuaded to betray your friends, your loves or your principles for the sake of your country or company. Once you betray these simple truths your independence is lost for ever. Never sell your soul in the public interest. Do not allow yourself to be tricked into parting with your integrity on the grounds that you are behaving in a public spirited way.
Take pride in being your own person.
When your independence goes you lose everything that should be dear to you.
NOTE
The essay above is taken from `Toxic Stress and the 21st Century Blues’ by Vernon Coleman. For details of the book please CLICK HERE
Copyright Vernon Coleman July 2025
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