Do you hate asking for help? Are there certain kinds of help you're OK with, but others you're not? For example, I have no problem, say, asking a stranger for directions, but I hate asking anyone for help in doing anything physical, like lifting heavy things or reaching something off a shelf that's too high for me.

I know I can't be the only one with this hang-up...

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

Answers

I'll be glad show you how to change a tire, if you'll take the lids off of jars for me.

-- Anonymous, December 05, 2000

I don't hate asking for help, I hate not being able to do something. What I mean is that if I do ask for help I've already tried any rational or irrational solution I am capable of. I tend to think I can do anything, but sometimes I reach a point when I realize I could try forever and would not succeed. That bothers me. The asking part is usually kind of good because it forces me to calm down.

-- Anonymous, December 05, 2000

It's the 'kind of help' issue that governs my willingness to ask. If it's something I feel I SHOULD be able to do, like operate an unfamiliar coffee dispenser, or use a tube station ticket machine in a foreign country, then I hate asking. If it's something which no-one in their right mind could possibly expect me to be able to do, like bring about world peace, or invent a cure for cancer using only a tube of Smarties and an LED, then asking is not a problem.

Sadly, I find that people I've approached in the street have been less than receptive to my requests: just this lunchtime, I walked the streets of Bloomsbury looking for people to help me bring about world peace and, once again, I had a completely negative response.

However, on the few occasions that I've had to ask for help in operating an unfamiliar coffee dispenser, people have been only too willing.

What is wrong with the world?

Get your priorities right, people!

-- Anonymous, December 05, 2000

Hey Pale Blue, you don't meekly ask people for help on achieving world peace, you LEAD a revolution ! Thats why your Bloomberg streets considered you a ??? deciding whether to ask for help also depends upon my mood, or the circumstance.

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2000

I didn't 'meekly' ask: I ran up to them waving my fist and yelling, "Help me achieve world peace you stupid fuck!". Would they help? Nope. I'm telling you, it's an attitude problem.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2000