“Be not ashamed of receiving help. Your business is to act like a soldier in the storm and to accomplish the work of life.”Marcus Aurelius · Gânduri către sine · 180 · Cartea VII, 7
Your mission is to finish the job, not to prove you can do it alone.
A person's job, Marcus argues, is to finish the work, not to prove independence while doing it. The soldier in his comparison takes a shield or a hand out of a ditch without embarrassment; only the battle matters. Shame about asking for support comes from pride, and pride puts the ego ahead of the task. A manager who refuses to delegate out of vanity delays the project, though the team could have helped finish it on time.
Why it matters It helps whenever pride keeps you stuck: at work, at home, or during illness, refusing support costs more than accepting it.