--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People tell me I need an assistant, but I…" description: "\"People tell me I need an assistant, but I dont want one.\" — David Karp" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/david-karp-21194_assistant_people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i_659439.jpg" --- # People tell me I need an assistant, but I dont want one. ![“People tell me I need an assistant, but I dont want one.” quote by David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/david-karp-21194_assistant_people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i_659439.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/david-karp-21194_assistant_people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i_659439.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/david-karp-21194_assistant_people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i_659439.jpg) > “People tell me I need an assistant, but I dont want one.” [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker resists needing help, valuing independence despite external suggestions. **In simple terms:** Resisting assistance to stay independent. Key Takeaway Consider when help could be beneficial. Themes independence self-reliance productivity Mood determined reflective Type pragmatic inspirational When to use this quote - workplace - personal projects - entrepreneurship Key Concepts autonomy efficiency support systems Questions to Reflect On - When is it wise to accept help? - What tasks could be delegated? A Different Perspective Overreliance on self can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assistant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assistant/) [Assistant Dont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assistant-dont-5257534/) [Assistants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assistants/) [Dont want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dont-want/) [Need Assistant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-assistant-5257535/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Tell Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-need-934001/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [People tell me I need an assistant, but I don't want one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i-don-t-want-one/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [I'm a good assistant. That's why I don't have an assistant, because I'm so on it that no one can be as on it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-dunst/i-m-a-good-assistant-that-s-why-i-don-t-have-an-assistant-because-i-m/) [Kirsten Dunst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-dunst/) > [I have an assistant in Vancouver to help me with my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-gallagher/i-have-an-assistant-in-vancouver-to-help-me-with-my-life/) [Megan Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-gallagher/) > [I call myself the assistant cult leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-call-myself-the-assistant-cult-leader/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Becoming a bird ecologist was just luck! I had the chance to be a field assistant for a scientist working in the Galapagos Islands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-j-anderson/becoming-a-bird-ecologist-was-just-luck-i-had-the-chance-to-be-a/) [David J. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-j-anderson/) > [I think that I was lucky that I was 30 when I did 'Love Story', which came with this extravagant pop celebrity. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-macgraw/i-think-that-i-was-lucky-that-i-was-30-when-i-did-love-story-which/) [Ali MacGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-macgraw/) > [If you don't have an assistant, you are one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-herold/if-you-don-t-have-an-assistant-you-are-one/) [Cameron Herold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-herold/) > [I wouldn't go down the route of having an assistant. I don't want to be like that. I want to be normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/i-wouldn-t-go-down-the-route-of-having-an-assistant-i-don-t-want-to/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [I know a lawyer who'd love to retire and be an assistant coach. I mean, it's fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/i-know-a-lawyer-who-d-love-to-retire-and-be-an-assistant-coach-i-mean/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [I had to leave school at 14 because my father got injured in the mines and I had to support my family. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-blessed/i-had-to-leave-school-at-14-because-my-father-got-injured-in-the/) [Brian Blessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-blessed/) > [Are you saying that the assistant had the answers all along, he just wasn't telling anyone?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-valvano/are-you-saying-that-the-assistant-had-the-answers-all-along-he-just/) [Jim Valvano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-valvano/) > [Bobby Tom: You're supposed to be my assistant, not a baby-sitter! Gracie: One and the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/bobby-tom-you-re-supposed-to-be-my-assistant-not-a-baby-sitter-gracie/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [My occupation is assistant storyteller. It is not "icon."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/my-occupation-is-assistant-storyteller-it-is-not-icon/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [To this day, I've never had an assistant. I really insist on doing everything myself because I value the role of the artist's hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-robleto/to-this-day-i-ve-never-had-an-assistant-i-really-insist-on-doing/) [Dario Robleto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-robleto/) > [Oh, I'm just Ego's assistant. It's not anything big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-bird/oh-i-m-just-ego-s-assistant-it-s-not-anything-big/) [Brad Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-bird/) ## More by David Karp > [We've tried to keep as cheap and lean an operation as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/we-ve-tried-to-keep-as-cheap-and-lean-an-operation-as-possible/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [Our team isn’t changing. … And our mission – to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/our-team-isn-t-changing-and-our-mission-to-empower-creators-to-make/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [Reading for me will be a combination of books, magazines, Tumblr, and just kind of the Web in general on the iPad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/reading-for-me-will-be-a-combination-of-books-magazines-tumblr-and/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [You guys are more talented than anyone in the Tumblr office or in Palo Alto or Sunnyvale. We're constantly in awe, constantly in service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/you-guys-are-more-talented-than-anyone-in-the-tumblr-office-or-in/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [We couldn't be happier with our Storyboard team's effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/we-couldn-t-be-happier-with-our-storyboard-team-s-effort/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [We're not motivated by money. We are into this thing that we're building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/we-re-not-motivated-by-money-we-are-into-this-thing-that-we-re/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [I'm always so surprised when people fill their homes up with stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/i-m-always-so-surprised-when-people-fill-their-homes-up-with-stuff/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [The more people we have on our team. the less room there is in the elevator and the more complicated everything gets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/the-more-people-we-have-on-our-team-the-less-room-there-is-in-the/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [I'm very antischedule. Except for board meetings, I don't really schedule things or keep a calendar. I think appointments are caustic to creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/i-m-very-antischedule-except-for-board-meetings-i-don-t-really/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [Entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a want to create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/entrepreneur-is-someone-who-has-a-vision-for-something-and-a-want-to/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [The biggest lesson has been the importance of constantly repeating the mission. It means bringing the team together every week to talk about all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/the-biggest-lesson-has-been-the-importance-of-constantly-repeating/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [Find a space where you can be creative and a place where you are open for free thinking, you want to enjoy what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/find-a-space-where-you-can-be-creative-and-a-place-where-you-are-open/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [Every feature has some maintenance cost, and having fewer features lets us focus on the ones we care about and make sure they work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/every-feature-has-some-maintenance-cost-and-having-fewer-features/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [I've found that if you're not responsive to e-mail, it trains people to leave you alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/i-ve-found-that-if-you-re-not-responsive-to-e-mail-it-trains-people/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [I want to build something I’d be happy to be employed by 10 years out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/i-want-to-build-something-i-d-be-happy-to-be-employed-by-10-years-out/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) [Explore all 29 David Karp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) ## More Assistant quotes > [I'm a good assistant. That's why I don't have an assistant, because I'm so on it that no one can be as on it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-dunst/i-m-a-good-assistant-that-s-why-i-don-t-have-an-assistant-because-i-m/) [Kirsten Dunst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-dunst/) > [I was studying to be a dental hygienist and working as a dental assistant. I met a photographer and decided to put my job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-ziering/i-was-studying-to-be-a-dental-hygienist-and-working-as-a-dental/) [Nikki Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-ziering/) > [I don't know how it is now but the assistant stage manager had to understudy several parts. You had to be ready to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ford/i-don-t-know-how-it-is-now-but-the-assistant-stage-manager-had-to/) [Glenn Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ford/) > [To this day, I've never had an assistant. I really insist on doing everything myself because I value the role of the artist's hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-robleto/to-this-day-i-ve-never-had-an-assistant-i-really-insist-on-doing/) [Dario Robleto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-robleto/) > [Protecting the rights of service members was an important part of my work as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/protecting-the-rights-of-service-members-was-an-important-part-of-my/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [It was a privilege to serve as the assistant attorney general for civil rights, a role that allowed me to enforce the Civil Rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/it-was-a-privilege-to-serve-as-the-assistant-attorney-general-for/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [“See the healer, Sage. We have a big week ahead of us, and I can’t afford you falling dead on me.” “I don’t think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-nicole-maehrer/see-the-healer-sage-we-have-a-big-week-ahead-of-us-and-i-can-t-afford/) [Hannah Nicole Maehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-nicole-maehrer/) > [As an assistant, when you wake up in the morning, you're opening your laptop and watching film. Then the game starts, and you're watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nurse/as-an-assistant-when-you-wake-up-in-the-morning-you-re-opening-your/) [Nick Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nurse/) > [As a young guy, you talk to the assistant coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wiggins/as-a-young-guy-you-talk-to-the-assistant-coach/) [Andrew Wiggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wiggins/) > [I'm fortunate to have a team of people who help me. I've got an assistant, an office manager, a nanny - she's not full-time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-gay-harden/i-m-fortunate-to-have-a-team-of-people-who-help-me-i-ve-got-an/) [Marcia Gay Harden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-gay-harden/) > [When I became the assistant, I was intelligent and helpful. I had patience. As the head coach I was completely the opposite. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/when-i-became-the-assistant-i-was-intelligent-and-helpful-i-had/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [Back in the 1980s, when I was a lowly editorial assistant by day and trying to be a novelist by night, no god reigned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/back-in-the-1980s-when-i-was-a-lowly-editorial-assistant-by-day-and/) [Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/) > [The war project at Stanford was essentially completed, and I accepted an offer of an Assistant Professorship at the University of Minnesota, which had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-d-boyer/the-war-project-at-stanford-was-essentially-completed-and-i-accepted/) [Paul D. Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-d-boyer/) > [Later in that administration, I was asked to take a job which I had to turn down as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-cutler/later-in-that-administration-i-was-asked-to-take-a-job-which-i-had-to/) [Lloyd Cutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-cutler/) > [I used to play Donna Karan. I used my dad's home office, and Kim was my assistant. Then one of our friends would play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kourtney-kardashian/i-used-to-play-donna-karan-i-used-my-dad-s-home-office-and-kim-was-my/) [Kourtney Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kourtney-kardashian/) [Browse all 162 Assistant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assistant/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People tell me I need an assistant, but I dont want one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Karp" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i-dont-want-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assistant" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i-dont-want-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/david-karp-21194_assistant_people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i_659439.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/david-karp-21194_assistant_people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i_659439.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/david-karp-21194_assistant_people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i_659439.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People tell me I need an assistant, but I dont want one.” — David Karp", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Karp", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People tell me I need an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i-dont-want-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i-dont-want-one/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```