--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That obstinate sense of independence was…" description: "\"“That obstinate sense of independence was the biggest challenge I face in building my little house (that, and not always knowing what I was doing). I w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/dee-williams-13733_ask-for-help_that-obstinate-sense-of-independence-was_1981365.jpg" --- # That obstinate sense of independence was the biggest… ![“That obstinate sense of independence was the biggest challenge I face in building my little house (that, and not always knowing what I was doing). I was stubborn in the way I hated to ask for help. Some people are good at it, asking friends or their husbands to collect ginger ale and crackers at…” quote by Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/dee-williams-13733_ask-for-help_that-obstinate-sense-of-independence-was_1981365.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/dee-williams-13733_ask-for-help_that-obstinate-sense-of-independence-was_1981365.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/dee-williams-13733_ask-for-help_that-obstinate-sense-of-independence-was_1981365.jpg) > ““That obstinate sense of independence was the biggest challenge I face in building my little house (that, and not always knowing what I was doing). I was stubborn in the way I hated to ask for help. Some people are good at it, asking friends or their husbands to collect ginger ale and crackers at the grocery because they feel nauseous, or standing on the side of the road with a tire iron in one hand, hoping someone will stop to change their flat tire. I'm not like that; I'd rather have a rough stick dragged across my gums than walk to the neighbor's house to borrow sugar or ask for help jump-starting my car.”” [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stubborn independence can hinder practical help‑seeking, creating unnecessary struggle. **In simple terms:** Too much pride blocks assistance. Key Takeaway Balance self‑reliance with asking for help. Themes independence pride help‑seeking self‑sufficiency Mood candid reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - home projects - car trouble - health issues Key Concepts ego social support collaboration Questions to Reflect On - When did pride cost you effort? - Who could you safely ask for help today? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on self can waste time and energy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ask for help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-for-help/) [Ask Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-help/) [Asking for help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking-for-help/) [Challenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenge/) [Doing Stubborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-stubborn-3384470/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Help people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-people/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Sense Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-independence-448223/) [Stubborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stubborn/) [Stubborn Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stubborn-way-1041975/) [The-big-tiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-big-tiny/) ## Related quotes > [“I've never been good with asking for help; it seems risky, but at some point when things are really dicey, your stubbornness gives way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/i-ve-never-been-good-with-asking-for-help-it-seems-risky-but-at-some/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/don-t-be-afraid-to-ask-questions-don-t-be-afraid-to-ask-for-help-when-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [If you are at a hard place in life, hesitant to ask for help, God invites you to ask Him so He can meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/if-you-are-at-a-hard-place-in-life-hesitant-to-ask-for-help-god/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [Don't be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes the hardest thing we ever must do is ask for help. We want to show everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-scott/don-t-be-afraid-to-ask-for-help-sometimes-the-hardest-thing-we-ever/) [Kendra Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-scott/) > [Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/don-t-be-afraid-to-ask-questions-don-t-be-afraid-to-ask-for-help-when/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“I'm not always good at asking for help..." "Neither I am. But it's time for us to grow up, Dhalia. I think part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-thompson/i-m-not-always-good-at-asking-for-help-neither-i-am-but-it-s-time-for/) [Kelly Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-thompson/) > [Some of us are taught to ask for help. Some of us don't feel comfortable asking for help. Some of us will get into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-king/some-of-us-are-taught-to-ask-for-help-some-of-us-don-t-feel/) [Amy King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-king/) > [It is up to you to be asking for help continuously, whether you want to talk directly to God or to the angels or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/it-is-up-to-you-to-be-asking-for-help-continuously-whether-you-want/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [“ask for help with one of the greatest-of-all-time calibrated questions: “How am I supposed to do that?” The critical part of this approach is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-voss/ask-for-help-with-one-of-the-greatest-of-all-time-calibrated/) [Chris Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-voss/) > [“It takes a well-adjusted animal to know when to ask for help”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/it-takes-a-well-adjusted-animal-to-know-when-to-ask-for-help/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [One of the biggest defects in life is the inability to ask for help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/one-of-the-biggest-defects-in-life-is-the-inability-to-ask-for-help/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [I'm not stubborn. My way is just better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/i-m-not-stubborn-my-way-is-just-better/) [Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/) > [I don't really have a stubborn way about myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-mclaughlin/i-don-t-really-have-a-stubborn-way-about-myself/) [Caleb McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-mclaughlin/) > [I do what I want to do instead of what other people think I should do, and I'm kind of stubborn that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-prass/i-do-what-i-want-to-do-instead-of-what-other-people-think-i-should-do/) [Natalie Prass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-prass/) > [“The library made me feel safe, as if every question had an answer and there was nothing to be afraid of, as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/the-library-made-me-feel-safe-as-if-every-question-had-an-answer-and/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) ## More by Dee Williams > [“The library made me feel safe, as if every question had an answer and there was nothing to be afraid of, as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/the-library-made-me-feel-safe-as-if-every-question-had-an-answer-and/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“I think I'm more curious than I used to be - curious about why people live like they do and how they make sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/i-think-i-m-more-curious-than-i-used-to-be-curious-about-why-people/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“I was stubborn like that, refusing to let my heart redefine how I operated. Looking back, there is a part of me that wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/i-was-stubborn-like-that-refusing-to-let-my-heart-redefine-how-i/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“These days I find that I am happy enough in the same way that I am warm enough - the goal isn't bliss or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/these-days-i-find-that-i-am-happy-enough-in-the-same-way-that-i-am/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“Books had rescued me when i most needed saving... Books were smarter than me and words inspired me... to try something new, charge forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/books-had-rescued-me-when-i-most-needed-saving-books-were-smarter/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“Ultimately, I hoped the tiny-house guy was similar to me: a sane person without a big agenda, who simply wanted a way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/ultimately-i-hoped-the-tiny-house-guy-was-similar-to-me-a-sane-person/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“I had turned myself inside out working on the house, and had come to love it; at least, I supposed I loved it. Maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/i-had-turned-myself-inside-out-working-on-the-house-and-had-come-to/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“Whose idea was it that we should all get jobs, work faster, work better, race from place to place with our brains stewing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/whose-idea-was-it-that-we-should-all-get-jobs-work-faster-work-better/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“I was thinking this was a great teaching moment, where they'd finally come to see that even something teeny-tiny can be big enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/i-was-thinking-this-was-a-great-teaching-moment-where-they-d-finally/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“Whatever you call me, my parents encouraged me to go to college and become a book lover, and to trust that I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/whatever-you-call-me-my-parents-encouraged-me-to-go-to-college-and/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“I might wake up when the rain starts or stops, when it shifts direction or rolls alongside the house like a tumbleweed, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/i-might-wake-up-when-the-rain-starts-or-stops-when-it-shifts/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“I had no idea that "letting go" would be so complicated; that it would sometimes feel liberating and other times more sorrowful and lonely.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/i-had-no-idea-that-letting-go-would-be-so-complicated-that-it-would/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“Maybe is wasn't love so much as a fear of losing everything I'd accomplished. I was afraid to let go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/maybe-is-wasn-t-love-so-much-as-a-fear-of-losing-everything-i-d/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“The more I took note of how my body and brain clicked along through the day, the more I realized that I spent a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/the-more-i-took-note-of-how-my-body-and-brain-clicked-along-through/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) > [“Most important, I stumbled into a new sort of “happiness,” one that didn’t hinge on always getting what I want, but rather, on wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-williams/most-important-i-stumbled-into-a-new-sort-of-happiness-one-that-didn/) [Dee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) [Explore all 49 Dee Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-williams/) ## More Ask for help quotes > [“What do we do in the dark night? We do nothing. We wait. We remember that we are not God. We hold on. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/what-do-we-do-in-the-dark-night-we-do-nothing-we-wait-we-remember/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“When you refuse to ask for help, it tells others that they also shouldn't ask for help from you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/when-you-refuse-to-ask-for-help-it-tells-others-that-they-also/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [Strength wasn‘t about being able to do everything alone. Strength was knowing when to ask for help and not being too proud to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/strength-wasn-t-about-being-able-to-do-everything-alone-strength-was/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Don't be ashamed to ask for help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-be-ashamed-to-ask-for-help/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Any fool that had once helped you will someday make known to everyone that you were once a needy. No matter how broke you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/any-fool-that-had-once-helped-you-will-someday-make-known-to-everyone/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“Is this okay with you, Jenna? For him to stay here?" "Yeah," I said. "It's good. You have no idea what it takes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/is-this-okay-with-you-jenna-for-him-to-stay-here-yeah-i-said-it-s/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [“Weep and ask for help. Lean on me with your runny nose. Cry when you feel like crying. Laugh when you feel like laughing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorachi-hideaki/weep-and-ask-for-help-lean-on-me-with-your-runny-nose-cry-when-you/) [Sorachi Hideaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorachi-hideaki/) > [“Most of those who think their strength is gone and ask for help from others do not know that the strength that seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/most-of-those-who-think-their-strength-is-gone-and-ask-for-help-from/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I used to think I was tough, but there's a difference between bravado and courage, and I only started to show courage when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/i-used-to-think-i-was-tough-but-there-s-a-difference-between-bravado/) [Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/) > [“Telling a true friend that you need something makes it unnecessary for you to ask them for that thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/telling-a-true-friend-that-you-need-something-makes-it-unnecessary/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > ["A closed mouth doesn't get fed." Oftentimes, we feel not worthy or we don't want to bother people. We forget to ask for help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-daniels/a-closed-mouth-doesn-t-get-fed-oftentimes-we-feel-not-worthy-or-we/) [Kevin Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-daniels/) > [In American culture at large, but especially in African American culture, it's a sign of weakness to ask for help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/in-american-culture-at-large-but-especially-in-african-american/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [“I learned that when you ask for help it will always be given. If you try to work with spirit then they will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-rathore/i-learned-that-when-you-ask-for-help-it-will-always-be-given-if-you/) [Michelle Rathore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-rathore/) > [ “- \[Regret,Cause you didn't ask for help\] is better than \[Regret,cause you did\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-hosny/regret-cause-you-didn-t-ask-for-help-is-better-than-regret-cause-you/) [Omar Hosny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-hosny/) > [I am not embarrassed to say that when I was at my worst I took anti-depressants because I think people need to hear that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/i-am-not-embarrassed-to-say-that-when-i-was-at-my-worst-i-took-anti/) [Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/) [Browse all 280 Ask for help quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-for-help/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That obstinate sense of independence was the biggest challenge I face in building my little house (that, and not always knowing what I was doing). 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