[zzalpha]

To be perfectly honest that sounds like a surprisingly toxic work environment, and a sadly elitist attitude. What are teams for if not to act as a collaborative support system?

Should it be a crutch? No. But never asking for help as a matter of course is, in my opinion, counterproductive.

[Gigablah]

I would've worded it differently. Do approach people to confirm that you're on the right track, or to find out the (undocumented) motivation for a certain design, NOT to ask them to solve a problem for you.