Independence as a Paradox

Although his mother claimed to be independent, she still felt as if she were living in a box. Her independence, as most independence is, was a paradox. Everyone suffers from the limitations of independence. We make one choice and that choice limits our options in other areas. Jean seemed to have trouble understanding that the choices an independent person makes can lead them to dependence on others.

One of the choices that Jean made that limited her independence was her decision to separate from her husband. Since her husband did have a bad gambling habit, Jean probably made the best decision for her circumstances but that decision to be independent from a bad influence in her life led her to a spot where she had fewer decisions about the rest of her life. She could not date because she was still legally married. She did...