Is It Time to Swallow Your Pride?

Do you like to ask for help? Really, do you? If you do, what benefits come from uttering a few simple words? After you ask, do you feel better about your situation? Okay, okay. It may not sound like you. You may be the type of person who would rather do everything for yourself and not rely on anyone for assistance of any kind, which is perfectly fine. We live in a country where we gain success by working hard and doing things on your own.

Throughout the years, I have been the type of person who was too proud to ask for help. Why should I ask for help? As a self-learner, I should figure everything out on my own. If I did ask for help, it seemed like I was wasting the person's time, which made me stop seeking help altogether. As I've gotten older, I have realized that asking for help isn't a blow to my pride; it's the responsible thing to do.

Recently, I switched my research focus. My original focus was exploring the social construction of beauty in virtual worlds and whether or not those constructions impacted socially constructed meanings of beauty in the real world. I was comfortable with this topic. I knew which types of articles would help me and which ones wouldn't. It was easy to cite key scholars and foundational pieces of literature. Now, I am interested in studying social media from a critical cultural perspective. I am interested in understanding how social media is used as a tool to oppress certain groups of people (i.e., class, gender, sexual orientation, etc.), how it's used to "dumb down" the everyday person, to what extent it's used as a public sphere, and how the culture industry develops and shapes social media usage. Since this is a new research area for me, I can't rely on myself anymore. I need to ask for help from scholars who know about the difference aspects of my interests. Without seeking their help, I cannot become the best scholar, researcher, and teacher I can be.

You, or someone you know, may be embarking on a new journey. It can be scary, but it will make you better. If pride is getting in the way of your success, repeat these words to yourself:

+ I am not losing my ability to be a self-learner; I am enhancing it;
+ Asking for help will not make me weak; it will make me stronger;
+ I am not taking the easy way out; I am working smarter than I've worked my entire life;
+ I am not swallowing my pride; I will be better for the experience; and
+ I am not a failure; I will succeed!