"Know thy self" Others can only grasp at reasons you find this difficult, only you will really know. Think about what it is that puts you off doing it, how doe

"Know thy self" Others can only grasp at reasons you find this difficult, only you will really know. Think about what it is that puts you off doing it, how does it go when you have done it in the past, what (if any) direct or indirect consequences are there afterwards. Motivation is a key part. If you aren't a fan of the colleagues who ask for help then it's harder to be motivated. Especially if you think they are ungrateful (although it appears in your case that those who help are recognised for it). The other aspect is that people asking for help are often lazy or at least have not tried sensible steps before asking - there is sometimes a legitimate concern that if you help someone for one thing, they'll be back with a dozen inappropriate requests for help and this is more likely the less effort they've put in. This is where it helps to have a clear sense of what is and is not reasonable for help - with my skillsets I can usually help people with a huge swath of problems even where I know less than they do about the topic but typically one needs to politely draw boundaries (usually) or you end up making no progress. Back on the point about how it goes when you help people, it's worth thinking about how well / badly it goes. Is it easy or is the communication awkward? Do you feel you are knowledgeable enough to help or does it show up your limitations? Do you get shy? Do you resent them during or after it? Do you struggle to make the connection between helping and having a positive outcome? Would you be uncomfortable helping even if there was never going to be a clear benefit for you personally (ie altruism) These are all really things only you can answer. Some of them will only be clear if you give it a go sometimes. I'd suggest you have a go and after try some introspection. It'll probably be fine. Remember: nothing ventured, nothing gained!