Can You Pull Yourself Up By the Bootstraps?

This episode of the web series, Toward a More Perfect Union, is called Can You Pull Yourself Up By the Bootstraps?

The phrase “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” is a credo that is heard over and over again in the U.S. It is paired with the idea of rugged individualism, that you have to go it alone to make it. The analogy to that is the stoic cowboy, riding high on his horse, fending for himself.

Specifically, pulling yourself up by the bootstraps refers to the idea of achieving success or improving your situation through your own efforts, without any external assistance or support. It implies a sense of self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and personal responsibility, and that asking for help is a sign of weakness.

And that’s the ethos of the U.S., that it’s a dog eat dog world, and if you’re successful, it’s thanks to your own hard work, without any help from anyone, whether family, friends, your community, or the government.

But is this true? Can you really pull yourself up by the bootstraps?

You’ll find out when you watch this video, with a little help from a real, live cowboy.

You can help support this web series on my Patreon page, and you can see all episodes at my YouTube channel or right here at More Perfect Union.

Thanks for watching! Feel free to let me know what you think.