--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A society’s self-reliance is usually in…" description: "\"“A society’s self-reliance is usually in inverse proportion to its reverence for the state. In some inexplicable way, the Adivasi of the deep forest sh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9c/madhu-ramnath-26844_self-reliance_a-society-s-self-reliance-is-usually-in_563726.jpg" --- # A society’s self-reliance is usually in inverse proportion… ![“A society’s self-reliance is usually in inverse proportion to its reverence for the state. In some inexplicable way, the Adivasi of the deep forest showed his disdain for the sahib by wearing less; the threshold of shame increased as one neared the towns where he showed less of himself.” quote by Madhu Ramnath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9c/madhu-ramnath-26844_self-reliance_a-society-s-self-reliance-is-usually-in_563726.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9c/madhu-ramnath-26844_self-reliance_a-society-s-self-reliance-is-usually-in_563726.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9c/madhu-ramnath-26844_self-reliance_a-society-s-self-reliance-is-usually-in_563726.jpg) > ““A society’s self-reliance is usually in inverse proportion to its reverence for the state. In some inexplicable way, the Adivasi of the deep forest showed his disdain for the sahib by wearing less; the threshold of shame increased as one neared the towns where he showed less of himself.”” [Madhu Ramnath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhu-ramnath/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self-reliance grows when people respect the state less, while modest dress signals disdain for authority in remote communities. **In simple terms:** Independence rises as reverence falls; simple dress shows resistance. Key Takeaway Value humility and autonomy over conformity. Themes independence culture identity power modesty Mood reflective critical Type analytical observational When to use this quote - rural activism - urban migration - cultural preservation - political protest Key Concepts social dynamics symbolic resistance colonial critique Questions to Reflect On - How does clothing become a political statement? - What pressures cause people to conform in towns? A Different Perspective State power can suppress individual expression despite outward modesty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Self reliance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-reliance/) ## Related quotes > [We can so reconstruct society that it will be self-perpetuating instead of as now, self-exhaustive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/we-can-so-reconstruct-society-that-it-will-be-self-perpetuating/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [“I was raised to believe that all I could ever be was a criminal. 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In villages far off the road, all the food – meat, fish, kuccha, yams –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhu-ramnath/food-should-figure-in-the-writing-of-adivasi-identity-in-villages-far/) [Madhu Ramnath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhu-ramnath/) > [“Adivasi is only an incidental factor; a collateral that barely contributes to the GDP shrine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhu-ramnath/adivasi-is-only-an-incidental-factor-a-collateral-that-barely/) [Madhu Ramnath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhu-ramnath/) > [“Illness is no reason to separate the patient from society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhu-ramnath/illness-is-no-reason-to-separate-the-patient-from-society/) [Madhu Ramnath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhu-ramnath/) > [“The kotwal is the perfect mouthpiece of the village, saying exactly those things that the police want to hear. 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People who tended cattle for payment in kind (food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhu-ramnath/indeed-cheap-rice-has-only-made-the-availability-of-cowherds-more/) [Madhu Ramnath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhu-ramnath/) > [“pathar pocha’, a leaf-wiper, an Adivasi. The manner of cleaning one’s bottom is stronger than any other custom in a culture. Most Adivasi people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhu-ramnath/pathar-pocha-a-leaf-wiper-an-adivasi-the-manner-of-cleaning-one-s/) [Madhu Ramnath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhu-ramnath/) > [“Wants have no end, the forest does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhu-ramnath/wants-have-no-end-the-forest-does/) [Madhu Ramnath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhu-ramnath/) > [“it was the civet who taught us about toddy. Civets nibbled at the flowering stalks and caused toddy to drip. 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Besides,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/self-reliance-means-you-re-in-control-don-t-ever-think-you-need-a-man/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“The vision teller tells the vision to unguarded minds' of prey. The programmed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/the-vision-teller-tells-the-vision-to-unguarded-minds-of-prey-the/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [Baseball gives a growing boy self poise and self reliance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-spalding/baseball-gives-a-growing-boy-self-poise-and-self-reliance/) Al Spalding > [There is nothing in this world that you will need that you can't give yourself physically, mentally,emotionally, financially etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gebru-villars/there-is-nothing-in-this-world-that-you-will-need-that-you-can-t-give/) [Gebru Villars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gebru-villars/) > [Self motivation is inner power which empowers you to strengthen your confidence, mental toughness, achieve greater height in life, best performance through positive attitude,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/self-motivation-is-inner-power-which-empowers-you-to-strengthen-your/) [Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/) > [There can be so many people responsible for your success, but only you are responsible for your failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/there-can-be-so-many-people-responsible-for-your-success-but-only-you/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“It was why no sane cat allowed kits to come anywhere near human beings. Humans seemed to feel that it was perfectly acceptable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/it-was-why-no-sane-cat-allowed-kits-to-come-anywhere-near-human/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/society-everywhere-is-in-conspiracy-against-the-manhood-of-every-one/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [God loves to help him who strives to help himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/god-loves-to-help-him-who-strives-to-help-himself/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [We singer-songwriter people, we're used to getting up and doing our own thing in front of people, and we're it. We're the band, artist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-wilkinson/we-singer-songwriter-people-we-re-used-to-getting-up-and-doing-our/) [Andy Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-wilkinson/) > [There is no feeling in this world to be compared with self-reliance--do not sacrifice that to anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/there-is-no-feeling-in-this-world-to-be-compared-with-self-reliance/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [It is true that the virtues which are less esteemed and practiced now--independence, self-reliance, and the willingness to bear risks, the readiness to back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/it-is-true-that-the-virtues-which-are-less-esteemed-and-practiced-now/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [You will become frustrated if you try to make things happen on your own strength instead of relying on God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-williams/you-will-become-frustrated-if-you-try-to-make-things-happen-on-your/) [Craig Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-williams/) [Browse all 653 Self reliance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-reliance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A society’s self-reliance is usually in inverse proportion to its reverence for the state. 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