Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Junkomama]

Hello, teachers.

What does "the force of independence" mean?
Someone wrote "I want children to learn the force of independence." and I thought it should be "I want children to foster the spirit of independence." or "I want children to learn the atitude to become independent.
"The force of independence" sounds strange to me.
I looked up the phrase on Google search to figure out it's meaning, and got many hits, but it's very hard to find where and how in each article the phrase is used.
I'd appreciate it if you would teach me the meaning and tell me whether my sentences are acceptable.

Thank you in advance!
Junkomama

[CP]

Just a guess here, but I think it means the power or the strength that one achieves or has when one is independent.

As children grow, they become more independent, and they gain maturity and self-reliance. The writer may have been saying that he / she wants the children to find out about the power they derive from becoming independent.
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[Junkomama]

Hello, CP-san.
Thank you so much for your reply!!

Would you please answer my question in the post titled "by/for oneself" too?

Regards,
Junkomama