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People

Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.

— Thomas Jefferson

A wood-handled chisel lies beside a pale wooden block and scattered shavings on a honey-colored workbench.
Original artwork
Behind the line May contain spoilers.

Our reading

An editorial 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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