To bite the hand that feeds you is to turn against a benefactor, someone gifting support or value. So why would someone bite the hand that feeds?
The workforce is a great place to start. When you hire someone that is inept and place them in a managerial position it is expected that they will surround themselves with bright individuals so that they look competent enough to continue receiving a fat paycheck. A major problem that arises is when these individuals have played this role so long that they truly believe that they are the ones responsible for the ideas conjured up by the skillful people in the background, the support team. Then a very interesting and disturbing phenomena happens; They begin to believe that the people spoon-feeding information to them are now lesser individuals and are now an expendable resource.
Here’s the gotcha: This person did not gain knowledge, they did not discover how things “really work”, nor did they even retain what their support group spoon-fed them in the first place. There’s a major flaw in proceeding this way in the workforce. The support group that put those managers on a pedestal can easily walk away from the situation leaving the managers to fend for themselves and prove to their supervisors why they should continue being employed.
I’ve always had this idealism about supervisors being very skillful in their field as to become a resource to their employees. It seems that is often not the case and I feel bad for a lot of employees who have to answer to someone who is undeserving of their supervisor role. Who can these employees really turn to if they needed answers to the hard questions?
Moral of this story: Don’t ask for help and act like that help was expected and has no merit for rewarding. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.