In One's Own Right for Dummies

In one's own right is a phrase we often use to talk about someone's individual achievements or qualifications, separate from any influence or success they may have gained through another person or situation. It's like saying that someone has earned their own level of recognition, respect or authority based on their own merits, rather than just because they are connected to someone or something else. Let me explain this further with an analogy.

Imagine you're playing your favorite video game, and you've been playing it for a long time. You've become really skilled at it, and you've even won some competitions against other players. Now, let's say that one day, you bring a friend over to your house, and they see you playing the game. They think it's really cool and want to try it too. So you both start playing together, and your friend starts winning some matches because you've been teaching them your strategies and helping them improve.

Now, if someone were to ask who is good at playing that video game, they might initially assume that your friend has become skilled because of your assistance. However, if your friend goes on to compete in a tournament and wins it without any help from you, they would be seen as a skilled player "in their own right." This means that they have proven themselves as a capable player, not just because they were learning from you or relying on your skills.

In a similar way, when we say someone has achieved something "in their own right," it means that they have done so based on their own abilities, talents, or qualifications. It's a way to highlight their individual accomplishments and show that they have earned their position or recognition independently. So, it's not about being successful because of someone else, but rather because of their own hard work and talents.

For example, let's say there's a famous actor who comes from a family of actors. People might assume that their success is solely due to their family connections and not their own talent. However, if that actor goes on to win an Oscar for their amazing performance in a movie without any help from their family, we can say that they won the award "in their own right." This means that they have proven themselves as a talented actor, separate from any influence they may have had from their family.

In summary, when we say someone has achieved something "in their own right," it means that they have earned their success or recognition based on their own abilities and merits, rather than relying on someone or something else. It's all about giving credit where credit is due and acknowledging the individual's personal accomplishments.