The Superhuman and the Soloist: The burden of self-sufficiency.

Validation through overwork.

This point merges two profiles that share a common root: the need to prove worth through overachievement.

The "Superhuman" (or Superman/Superwoman) operates under the belief that they must be the hardest working, most available and capable person in the room at all times.

They feel that their mere presence is not enough; they must justify their place by taking on more than their fair share of responsibilities, often by covering the work of others.

This behavior is a compensatory mechanism to combat an underlying feeling of "phoniness": they work twice as hard to prove that they deserve to be where they are.

They live in a state of constant anxiety, measuring their worth by the number of hours worked or tasks completed, convinced that if they slow down, their whole facade will crumble.

Fear of help as a sign of weakness.

The "Soloist" aspect adds a layer of isolation to this behavior. For this profile, success only counts if it is achieved without assistance from anyone.

Asking for help, resources or even clarification is perceived not as intelligent management, but as a confession of incompetence or fraud.

They reject collaboration because they believe they must know and do everything alone for the achievement to be legitimate.

This creates a vicious cycle: they accept impossible workloads (Superhuman) and refuse to delegate or ask for support (Soloist).

Even when they receive unsolicited help or use outside resources, they feel guilty and do not take credit for the end result, feeling they "cheated."

Imminent risk of burnout.

The combination of inability to say "no" and refusal of help is a guaranteed recipe for physical and mental burnout.

These people sacrifice their basic needs, free time and health on the altar of productivity. They do not work out of passion, but out of a self-imposed obligation based on fear.

Burnout is not seen as a sign to stop, but as another personal failure for not being "strong" enough to endure it all.

It is vital to understand that total independence is an illusion and that true professional competence includes the ability to manage human resources and know when the load is too much for one person.

Breaking this pattern requires redefining competency not as "doing it all myself," but as "making sure the job gets done as efficiently as possible," which almost always involves collaboration.

Summary

The "Superhuman" seeks to validate his or her worth by working harder than anyone else, feeling that he or she must justify his or her place by taking on excessive responsibilities and covering the work of others to combat his or her insecurity.

On the other hand, the "Soloist" perceives asking for help as a sign of incompetence; they reject collaboration and external resources because they believe that success is only legitimate if achieved alone.

This combination of overwork and isolation inevitably leads to burnout; it is vital to understand that true professional competence includes knowing how to manage resources and accept support when needed.