First Law—no one wants advice, especially unsolicited.
Second Law—if you feel the urge to give advice, see First Law.
My dad used to give me unsolicited advice—every six weeks when school report cards came out—for six years. I had taken some sort of standardized test in sixth grade. My parents went to visit the teacher. After that, the lectures began. Like I told a professor at the fitness center this morning, I think my IQ as measured by a test is higher than my intelligence. At any rate, the advice never took hold. I didn’t start getting good grades until my third year at university. I always have pursued learning on my own initiative unbound by curriculum.
That bit of biographical discourse began by reading this piece of wisdom:
Philosopher Baltasar Gracián on giving advice: “When you counsel someone, you should appear to be reminding him of something he had forgotten, not of the light he was unable to see.”
Doing that will require listening to and understanding the other person. And being aware of whether or not they wish to improve.
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