Buddhist monks have a daily ritual in which they spread out, knock on doors with an empty bowl, and get their daily nourishment of rice through the kindness of strangers. One may think this is begging, but actually, the daily rite is not meant to teach them humility, or keep them thin and well exercised. It is an opportunity for the people answering the doorbell to practice the virtue of giving. The monk is doing them a religious favor.
You learn a lot about people when you need something from them. You find out who is reliable, who is kind, who is giving, and for that matter, who is a friend. Most of what anyone can do for you can be accomplished with only a minor investment. But while self reliance is nice, asking for favors is one heck of a way to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Many years ago, on a morning show in Jersey, a male and female hosts were reviewing the film The Shadow, whose marketing campaign theme was 'What evil lurks in the hearts of men?". And the female presenter commented 'you want to know what evil lurks in a man's heart? Date him!' Or, if you want to spare yourself the time and agony, just ask for a favor.
Good luck!
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