Self Sufficiency

One thing I like most about cactus is their self sufficiency. With their terrible thorns, they are not looking for sympathy or outside assurances. No one is going to come along and pat them on the back and say, "There, there." They aren't looking for a handout. They live in an extremely harsh environment or at least one that doesn't pander to their every wish and yet they survive. There are no cactus welfare programs, no cactus disaster relief agencies, no one out there wringing their hands over the plight of a plant that lives perpetually without adequate water and no favors from the current administration. They work individually and pay their dues to the environment and warn everyone to keep their distance. By and large, a pretty interesting plant.