Don’t Expect Others to Read Your Mind
When you need help, you need to speak up
We’ve all been there. We’ve all needed help and wished someone would see our need and feel compelled to fill it. We feel like it’s obvious that we need help and so someone should just step up and help without being asked. We do so much for others without asking for anything in return and wish our efforts would be validated when we need assistance.
This simply isn’t practical and is the root cause for many of the issues that come out on a therapist’s couch. To receive help, we need to actually articulate our need — and get specific about it. We can’t expect anyone to read our mind.
Only a ridiculously small segment of the population can be micro-focused enough to see when someone needs help and be able to make things easier without being prompted. The theory called The Diffusion of Responsibility states that people are less likely to take responsibility and do something if others are present. There is a sense that someone else will surely step in and take the lead. Without the ask, the need remains unmet.
So, why don’t people ask for help? Reasons like:
● Fear (of looking weak, of being rejected, etc.)
● Pride
