Modern culture glorifies the individual in every possible way.
Did it himself.
Made it alone.
Against all odds, survived, won, became successful on his own.
Batman. Spider-Man. Rambo. Jason Bourne. John Wick.
All these images emerged for a reason.
Probably most people have a secret dream of being autonomous, invulnerable, omnipotent.
Well, that’s in fantasy. What about reality?
Today I was doing a barbell bench press, and my training partner said, “Next time, let me spot you. You clearly had more reps in you.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I probably had a couple left in reserve.”
And sure enough, this time I was able to lift the weight more times, even though my partner never touched the bar and simply stood beside me.
With a barbell, it’s obvious: when I press alone, I hold myself back. Intuition is right: getting pinned under the bar is both unpleasant and dangerous.
A safety line, a backup parachute, or a friend’s shoulder allows you to commit more fully to the activity and reveal more of your potential.
Let’s take this idea to the extreme.
When does a person face the Unknown openly and courageously?
Even when no one seems to be nearby, he knows with certainty:
“I am not alone here.”
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
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