Let’s say you’ve got a sinkhole in your yard. That’s a pretty big problem, but it’s possible for you to solve. After all, you’re smart and capable. You have access to a modern world full of resources. You’ve got everything you need to fix this problem.
But now imagine the same problem, except you’re in the hole. This problem suddenly got much more challenging. While you’re down there in the hole, you’re still smart and capable – but your access to resources just got significantly more limited. You don’t exactly have a lot of options.
If, in order to get out of the hole, you need to borrow a ladder – do it. Even if you definitely wouldn’t need a ladder to solve this problem normally. Even if you already have a ladder, you can’t access it (because you’re in a hole). Don’t get salty about the circumstance. Just borrow the ladder.
Problems are easier to solve from the outside. In fact, the difference in difficulty (and therefore total resources needed) is much greater than the cost of renting a ladder or getting a small favor to get out of the hole.
Some people refuse to do it. Those people tend to stay stuck in a hole.
Self-sufficiency, as a default, is a good thing. You should be able and willing to solve your own probems. But part of being competent in general is knowing when you’re burning way more resources than you need to by using self-sufficiency as an absolute, rather than a default. Just borrow the ladder.
The Opportunity Machine 