Being Independent Is Overrated

Sometimes I see a trend among eBay sellers...

Let's say our eBay seller is named Bob. Bob has a job, but he hates his job. So he quits, and decides to sell on eBay because he can be his own boss and have tons of freedom. All is fine and well in the world...

...except, Bob still has a chip on his shoulder. Bob still has the chip on his shoulder that makes him suspicious and a little paranoid about anybody trying to be his boss, or take away his freedom.

So when eBay makes a change with its policies, which they absolutely have the right to do...Bob freaks out a little bit. Bob thinks, "well I don't need eBay - I'm INDEPENDENT!"

Here's the thing - people in the eBay world need to depend on each other even MORE than the real brick and motor world. In a "regular" job you have colleagues all around, there is interdependence. The average eBay seller like Bob may be a one person operation.

Being independent is fine in the face of true tyranny, but it's a last resort. Take our Founding Fathers, for example. All those guys tried and tried and tried to reconcile with King George - the Declaration of Independence was the last resort.

And then, once we did have Independence...the Founders found that things were a little TOO Independent - it took a couple of Constitutional Conventions before they got the balance right.

Selling on eBay is great and gives the Bobs of the world freedom and so many opportunities, but Bob should remember that following a path to complete independence leads to a desert isle.