TL; DR When receiving advice, focus on the general, not the specific.
Selfish people should listen to advice to be more selfless, selfless people should listen to advice to be more selfish. → Whenever you receive advice, consider its opposite as well. You might be filtering out the advice you need most.
The point of seeking advice isn’t to follow it blindly but to enhance your clarity of thought. Advice is often rooted in the giver’s unique experiences, values, and goals, which may not align with your own. People give guidance from what works for them. It may or may not apply to you. This is particularly true for online advice, where blog posts and articles reflect the writer’s perspective and lifestyle, often without context about your situation. They have no idea about you. There’s no guarantee that what works for them will also work for you. Without the opportunity to question causality or critically filter the advice, it risks becoming mental clutter, occupying your mind and to-do list without being meaningfully internalized.
Be comfortable with ignoring advice. At the end of the day,
- only you can give yourself the best advice, because it’s you who knows the entire story and context, not anyone else on the internet.
- there is really no “right way” of doing things, especially in the age of infinite information on the internet. Finding a personalised approach is key.
Be careful WHO you’re getting advice from.
- Don’t
- take advice from the person who hasn’t done the thing you want to do.
- listen to the opinions of those that haven’t achieved what you want to achieve.
- take opinions from people on the sideline (including family and friends).
When some one gives you advice, sandbox it and ask:
- “Will this work for me?”
- “What does this mean to me?”
Subtract incentives from advice.
- Don’t ask your barber if you need a haircut.
- Don’t ask your doctor what you should do. (Instead, ask him what he would do if he were in your place.)
Prioritize action: Take some advice, act on it, adjust accordingly. Otherwise advice gathering can quickly become a form of procrastination.
See also: