"Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition"

This quote by Thomas Jefferson talks with the threats of reliance. He suggests that when people become depending on others, they end up being subservient and also corrupt. This subservience and corruption stifles the development of merit as well as makes people more susceptible to manipulation by those with ambition. Jefferson is warning against the risks of allowing oneself to come to be too based on others, as it can bring about a loss of autonomy and also ethical integrity. He is suggesting that individuals should strive to be independent and self-reliant, as this will certainly help them to keep their merit as well as secure them from the styles of those with aspiration. Eventually, Jefferson is supporting for self-sufficiency as well as autonomy as a way to secure oneself from the risks of reliance.