A wood-handled chisel lies beside a pale wooden block and scattered shavings on a honey-colored workbench.

Original artwork, not a still

Thomas Jefferson

Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The advice asks people to do what they can before calling on someone else. Managing a task yourself becomes a courtesy as well as a sign of independence. It draws the boundary at your own ability, rather than demanding that you never need help.

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