Devotion

One of the greatest lies modern individualism tells us is that asking for help is weakness, that seeking counsel is admitting defeat. Proverbs says the opposite: isolation leads to disaster, and safety comes through listening to multiple perspectives. The word for "counselors" here is not limited to experts—it means people who have lived, who have encountered problems, who have thought deeply. When you face a major decision and you go it alone, you have access to your own limited experience and perspective. When you seek counsel from wise people, you inherit their experience, their cautions, their insights. This is not about surrendering your will; it is about enriching it with wisdom that extends beyond your own reach. The person who refuses counsel is not independent—they are trapped in the prison of their own thinking.