Needing people and people in need

How the two are connected and why it matters

As Americans, we often pride ourselves on being independent and self-sufficient. Needing help can seem like a sign of weakness or laziness.

Unfortunately, this belief in the self-made individual makes us prone to criticize or shy away from people who need help because we’re ashamed of asking for help ourselves.

When life is going well, it’s easy for us to take credit for everything. It’s easy to appear like a self-sufficient person.

Sometimes it’s not until a difficult experience (e.g. illness, loss, heartbreak, etc.) or tragic event (e.g. Hurricane Harvey) we realize how much we depend on others.

The truth is we need each other ALL the time. Acknowledging this frees us to 1) ask for help without shame and 2) empathize and help others without judgment.

Needing others isn’t a weakness, it’s being human.

“She wasn’t afraid of people in need because she wasn’t afraid of needing others.” — Brené Brown from Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution.