To learn,

I had to

Wash cars, scrub floors, pick up laundry, sleep on my office floor for months, and what ever else my teacher was going to do himself.

I wanted him to do what he did best so I could watch and absorb.

I didn't need to learn how he washed cars

This has nothing to do with subservience.

It's pure practical logic.

I want to learn secrets of life from a master. The more he does mundane bullshit, the less opportunities he has to teach me.

I lose.

And I'm signaling to the master that I will value his teachings.

He spent his entire life collecting these secrets.

By saving him time, I demonstrate how highly I value his time. So his time won't be wasted on me.

Ultimately, I'm asking for him to invest even more time.

Into me.

I'm demonstrating that his investment will pay off many fold.

That I will repay him 1000x what he gave me.

Why else would he spend a single moment giving me the most precious things in his mind?