From the author: S-theoryTraining company PartnerThe right to be independentIndependence is, as it were, a continuation of the right to autonomy, but at a new stage of development. The difficulty in perceiving the difference between autonomy and independence is based on the fact that both rights are formed at the anal stage. Independence arises from the understanding that the child can manage his own pleasure and does not depend on the mother for this. A special case of this understanding is early childhood masturbation, during which the child notices that he can receive pleasure himself, bypassing his mother. By playing with his own genitals, the child not only compensates for the lack of tactile sensations, but realizes that he receives pleasure completely independently of his mother. Realizing this, the child begins to defend his right to independence from his parents to meet his own needs. By opposing himself to his parents, the child learns to say “no.” Thus, the belief is formed that “my needs do not depend on my parents, which means I can satisfy them independently of them.” This is indisputable confirmation that the child is moving to a new stage of development in his life. This right is the next step in relation to the right to be autonomous. Only now there is a struggle for freedom to make decisions, regardless of external assessment. This is the stage of self-affirmation, a declaration of a person's separate self. Formation of your own independent assessment system, when someone else’s opinion is gradually replaced by your own.