> If it's simply "I do not know how to do X" and I ask "have you looked at Y" This is helpful, sometimes enormously so. It may be that the only way they could

> If it's simply "I do not know how to do X" and I ask "have you looked at Y" This is helpful, sometimes enormously so. It may be that the only way they could have heard of Y within 2 years of facing the problem is through conversation. But once they hear the name of Y, they have something to punch into google. > they should be encouraged to at least try to find a solution Note that having someone _assume_ you did not try after you've spent hours of effort is also quite isolating. People who do not first try are indeed frustrating. There is a judgement for junior engineers to learn to exercise here. ------------------------------------------ > it also robs you of a learning experience if you are always relying on other people to guide you through solving problems Which is why this is a matter of judgement and balance, where extremes like "always" rarely apply. > it can be exhausting for the person that has to guide you. Very yes. This is why it's crucial to deny without justification some honest requests from those who need help. 1) So you do not exhaust yourself. 2) So that fear of exhausting yourself doesn't push you to assume a request for help is an excuse and treat another person as if they are lazy. ------------------------------------------ > Well, that is also where the maximum reward exists - when you think something is impossible and then you discover you are able to do it. 1) If. 2) We should aim to recognise the difference between "impossible" and "unimaginably hard". Impossible problems are a waste of time and we should not encourage people to solve them but instead to be skeptical of impossibility. Landing a man on was impossible _until_ congress allocated money to have a lot more engineers collaborate. Then it was no longer impossible but did come with many easy, moderate, hard, and unimaginably hard problems. 3) Unimaginably hard problems don't just require focus. They also require de-focus to see odd connections. We should aim to help junior engineers recognise the difference so they wisely decide when to keep banging away and when to go for a random walk.