From: Craig Maloney Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2019 14:20:20 +0000 (-0500) Subject: More on needing help X-Git-Tag: 20200112^2~85 X-Git-Url: https://jxself.org/git/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=d2c0ca3ecd98f6f7aa744d0e13d1f7c57aa00a83;p=themediocreprogrammer.git More on needing help --- diff --git a/chapter07.md b/chapter07.md index 1a1b576..ff22cb6 100644 --- a/chapter07.md +++ b/chapter07.md @@ -120,7 +120,9 @@ One of the most challenging aspects of programming that I've seen is in reaching There's also the fear that we'll become a burden if we ask for help when we struggle. These feelings can be magnified if we've had issues with learning, or are suffering from PTSD, chronic fatigue, or any number of physical, mental, or emotional constraints. There's the tendency to want to do more for ourselves, even if that is unlikely to work for us. -I know from my own experience that +I know from my own experience that I struggle with asking for help. Part of this was instilled in me whenever I would ask a question and get the dreaded "you should know that already" response. Other times I felt like if I asked for help it would somehow diminish my reputation. Folks would know that I wasn't the programmer they thought I was. They'd wonder why they hired or trusted me in the first place. But when I finally did ask for help the question I received wasn't "why don't you know this?", it was "why didn't you ask for help sooner?". Sure, there were the occasions where I would receive criticism for not knowing something, but in my own experience asking for help gave me more positive benefits that outweighed any real or perceived criticism of my abilities. + +This is especially true if we have physical, mental, or emotional constraints that are interfering with our performance. It can be difficult to unpack what it is that you need help with, or admit to others that you are struggling and need additional help. ... ## Giving up