Reliance and Independence are usually viewed as opposites
Reliance and Independence are usually viewed as opposites. They are usually stated as reliance versus independence. But that is not the case. Anybody that is totally independent will not have very many interactions with anybody, and someone that is totally reliant will not have too many opportunities for fulfillment. It is best when independence and reliance work hand in hand. Every individual has skills that they excel at and has other skills that they are very good at and then have skills that they are okay at. If you have a goal that you are trying to accomplish, you will be fastest to achieve that goal when you are able to utilize all the various skills that are needed to reach that goal. Rarely is it that one person has all the necessary skills to reach that goal as quickly as possible. You are there for much better off working, cooperating, and helping and being helped by people that have skills that will help you reach your goal faster so that you do not have to be in dependent. You can then use your skills to help somebody else reach their goal faster. Reliance is not a bad thing at all. Reliance requires a certain level of trust. You need to be able to feel that the person you are relying on is going to do for you what you hope they will. Independence is not a bad thing either. Independence allows you to set the direction for yourself, set goals for yourself and feel good about yourself. But you do not have to feel good about yourself as a result of your achievements, but rather as a result of the skills that you have. Those skills and the person that you are should be the characteristics that give you confidence in yourself. You're accomplishments is just your demonstration of your ability to use those skills.
— from The Mind in the Cockpit · GB oral dictation