I have always found it difficult to understand the statement, “Don’t tell people your plans or your next move, or stop telling people everything.” After all, how can someone who doesn’t know your condition know when and how to aid you? I’m trying to say that no man is an island, and you will need other people at some time in your life. It will take someone to lead, mentor, and provide you with directions.
I’ll give you an example using myself. I was given a very tiny project to work on around three years ago while I was still an undergraduate student, and I thought, “You know what I’m going to test.” I kept the project a secret from everyone so they could test me out and see how well I did in the end.
Naturally, I did my homework on the project and looked up advice online, so I felt fairly certain that it would be an amazing endeavor.
When the time came for me to give a presentation of my work, I would say that many of my acquaintances and even those in my immediate vicinity were a little taken aback to learn that I had been assigned the project and had chosen not to bring it up because it was such a big deal.
Thoughts of *why didn’t she tell us* could be heard in the background, but I was going to present what was done. My body language was sending a completely different message than I was when I started my presentation, which took less than 15 minutes to complete despite the fact that it was meant to be 45 minutes of straightforward explanation.
The professors were not pleased; in fact, if I could put their expressions into words, it would be something like, *we should have given it to somebody else.
A buddy of mine approached me after I had finished the presentation and said, “Why didn’t you tell us so we could have helped you or guided you on how to do it?” I felt that I was acting appropriately, therefore I was unable to speak, yet my performance and assessment of the entire circumstance were unimpressive.
To be fair, I would have requested someone to demonstrate the process for me. What took away from that event for me? It is this: don’t rely on yourself and your ability to perform well; instead, seek assistance from others who can assist you if you are unsure on how to accomplish a task.
I don’t think I fully get this concept, or perhaps I use it in the incorrect contexts. I’ve even read biographies of extremely successful people, and they all say the same thing, but I never get their meaning.
I’m still having trouble understanding the true meaning of the proverb and how to use it. I truly need help, and I’ve been going through some difficult issues lately, so if you could provide me some clarity, I would really appreciate it.
Do I concur with the proverb, then? Not totally. In my opinion, you should get in touch with those who are more knowledgeable and sincere if you need assistance with your objectives.
