self-made 的詞源

1610年代，“通過個人行動或努力所形成的”，由 self- 和 made 組成。Self-made man 自1826年起被證明，是美國英語的術語，其概念是“在沒有外部優勢的情況下在生活中取得了物質上的成功”。

This expression, in the sense in which I here use it, is perhaps peculiar to our own country ; for it denotes a class of men to be found in no other part of the world. It is true, that in Europe there have been those, who, having a bent of the mind, or a genius, as it is called, for some particular employment, have by their own unassisted, persevering efforts, risen to eminence in their favorite pursuit. But the self-made men of our country differ much from these. Genius in them is sterling common senses ; and their object was not the gratification of the mind in some strong predilection for a favorite employment, but rather the attainment of those intellectual habits and resources, which might prepare them for usefulness, and give them influence and eminence among their fellow men. [Samuel P. Newman, "Address Delivered Before the Benevolent Society of Bowdoin College, Tuesday Evening, Sept. 5, 1826"]

在這裏我所使用的這個概念，在其所發揮的意義上，可能只在我們自己的國家中具有特殊性質； 因爲它指代了一羣在世界其他地方找不到的人。的確，歐洲也有這樣的人，他們之所以通過自己的不懈努力，在自己喜歡的工作上嶄露頭角，是因爲他們心有所向，或者說是某個特定職業的天賦。但我們國家的自力更生的人與他們不同。在他們身上，天才是指有着堅實常識的能力; 他們的目標不是通過某種對喜愛職業的強烈偏愛來使自己得到滿足，而是通過獲得那些可能使他們具備影響力和地位，併爲他們帶來有用之處的智力習慣和資源。[塞繆爾•P•紐曼(Samuel P. Newman)，“在鮑因學院慈善協會於1826年9月5日星期二晚上發表的講話”]