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Writer's pictureDustin

Giving Advice

Updated: Apr 27

This is something I have spent a lot of time thinking about. I know from speaking to others with chronic illnesses it also comes up. I am referring to unsolicited advice.

Ironically, I wrote an entry a few years back about receiving advice. This also goes the other way too. There are people out there (although they may have good intentions) that feel the need to give "advice" (or straight out tell someone else what to do). This can be helpful but can also be hurtful.


We all know there is a lot of misinformation swarming out there, especially on the internet. Giving the wrong advice to someone when you don't actually know what you are talking about can be very dangerous and can lead to someone doing something that ends up being more harmful than helpful.


I am not in any way saying we shouldn't give advice, but to be careful about what and how you are saying it. I give advice or thoughts here on Inspire when it comes to experiences of my own that apply to the poster's comments. However, if I don't have much information about the topic, or my experience may be limited, or I only have a slight similarity to the topic, I prefer not to post.


One final note I want to make about this, which is in reference to chronic unsolicited advice-givers (these are the more aggressive types that feel the need to tell everyone what is wrong with how they are living their lives and what the "correct" way is), remember the old parable - don't judge a man until you have walked in his shoes. There are so many different variables in a person's life. There are so many things going on in someone's life beneath the surface that we do not see and have not taken into account. It really is not fair for anyone to judge or assume they understand another person's situation unless they truly lived that other person's life.


Those are my thoughts. Ironically, you could say I am "giving advice" to be careful when you are giving advice!

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