Is rugged individualism the key to happiness?
Self-reliance is a good thing, but ultimately we must place our trust in God.
When I saw this article floating around social media, I thought it was an interesting take regarding why young liberal women are statistically more likely to be depressed:
People who feel like they are the chief architects of their own life... are vastly better off than people whose default position is victimization.
That is a uniquely American point of view, and does fit neatly into conservative political ideology. The path to happiness is rugged individualism, where you pull yourself up by your bootstraps, etc. I can see President Ronald Reagan delivering that message at the Republican National Convention in 1984, or Rush Limbaugh delivering an impassioned monologue on the radio. As someone who is politically conservative, I agree with this message, and it is true up to a point.
The problem with this argument is that it is not the Biblical way of thinking. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:26-39 that God is in control. In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus tells us to pray that God’s will be done, and to ask Him to give us our daily bread and deliver us from evil. Matthew 10:29–31, Jesus reminds us that a sparrow will not fall apart from God the Father, and that He has numbered the hairs of our head. Colossians 1:16–17 tells us that Jesus holds the entire universe together. We are to trust God, to trust His will, and to believe in His sovereignty.
This does not mean that we have zero control over our own lives. God works through human means. There are many commands and exhortations throughout both the Old and New Testaments that are very helpful for us to follow, and He will work through us in ways we may never even know about. That’s why the Church exists to teach and provide encouragement and fellowship to Christians on Earth.
But there will be points where we have no control, and reliance on the American political idea of “rugged individualism” will not be enough to comfort us. In fact, if that is our hope, we will have no hope at all. These circumstances beyond our control could be the death of a sibling, parent or child. It could be a divorce we did not want. It could be getting diagnosed with a terminal illness or a chronic illness that saps our strength or even takes away our ability to care for ourselves. When we have lost hope, American rugged individualism cannot bring peace. Trusting God can.
The answer to depression among liberals (especially liberal women) is not to embrace rugged individualism and wave the Stars and Stripes. The answer is to trust God and His providence. The answer is to understand that, no matter what hardships we have in life, we have the omnipotent Creator of the universe on our side, who sent His son to die in our place. Trusting in yourself will only bring disappointment in the end.