Rocky, Rambo & Arnold Never Cry: “Help!”
In Los Angeles, a boy is failing in school, electing to not turn in assignments that are done during class hours, for fear that it will become known that he’s struggling with English as a second language.
A driver is hopelessly lost on the freeway in Houston, growing later and later for a meeting, having this sinking feeling that he’s going in circles, cursing the skies, but dead set on finding his own way out of the jam.
Are these two guys related?
In a sense, they are, because they’re part of a breed that will do nearly anything to avoid asking for help.
For many, and especially for males, asking for directions, for help, are felt to be signs of weakness. In our upbringing, in our genes, or both, we simply want to be independent, self-reliant, taking charge of and credit for getting ourselves out of sticky situations.
This attitude can be seen in a lot of action heroes on the big screen. They insist on going it alone, even when help is generously offered. And just when we think there’s no way they can escape from their problems, miraculously, against all odds, they do.
“Rocky” battles back in countless title bouts, Arnold finally prevails against the “Predator,” and “Rambo” defeats an army of pursuers, with a hunting knife, some twine, and a makeshift poncho.
Their slogans range from, “Leave me aloneI can do it!” to “Get out of my way!”
And while broadly criticized, especially by females who think it’s only normal to ask for directions when you’re lost, these independent types are perhaps made of the “The Right Stuff” that enables them to explore new worlds, and to survive mishaps like those that crippled “Apollo 13.”
As with so many human traits, our greatest weaknesses, in one circumstance, can be our greatest strengths in another.
So, from one point of view, it’s utterly dumb to not ask for help, but it’s a good habit to cultivate if you’re likely to find yourself lost at sea, separated from your unit on the battlefield, or incommunicado on the far side of the moon.
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of www.Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone®, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone! and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com
