"Independent Woman" is a term explored by various sources. Rapper, Roxanne Shante's 1989 rendition of "Independent Woman", highlighted relationships and asked women not to dote on partners who do not reciprocate. Similarly, the definition of an "Independent Woman", in the Urban Dictionary is, "A woman who pays her own bills, buys her own things and does not allow a man to affect her stability or self-confidence. She supports herself entirely on her own and is proud to be able to do so. It is very difficult for one to be in a relationship and to be independent at the same time. Some adults, both men and women fear the loss of independence in exchange for relationships and family life. Some relationships may warrant this fear because giving up independence can be a natural part of the life cycle. However, independence is often lost as they develop a relationship with a significant other, and they must work together.

On the other hand, self-sufficiency is the state of not requiring any aid, support or interaction for survival; it is a type of personal or collective autonomy. Self-sufficiency, to my mind, is similar to independence, because, in both cases, they advocate personal effort. To my mind, in a relationship, we have to sacrifice self-sufficiency and independence for collective effort, it is no longer a personal thing, but something that involves both parties. We're bringing our different efforts to the table and combining them as one; there's no longer "you" or "me", but "us". When we form a relationship, we're no longer independent or self-sufficient, but support each other or depend on each other. If we are claiming independence or self-sufficiency, we don't need anything else.

I do hope that I've been able to contribute something to this blog and I'll be happy to hear other comments. We're all individuals, with our own opinions and it's good to share. May we all be successful in our searches. Take care.

KenMitch.