BS Advice

The concept of giving advice at face value seems like a helpful endeavor.  However more often than not, it’s often riddled with BS, which ultimately nullifies its effectiveness, even if the advice itself is solid.  Such is the nature of humans, that they must feel safe before adopting any changes.  This is doubly true for advice received, and any form of BS will mar the safety of that advice. Hate it all you want, but ignoring this facet of people will ultimately hinder your ability to guide and persuade others.   And if guiding others to better themselves is not your ultimate intention, then that’s an issue you should be sorting out for yourself (Hint: its probably ego related).

Effective advice is given from a place of kindness, compassion, and understanding.  However, too often it is tainted with some form of BS. 

Although the ways of BS advice are countless, the most common forms are the following:

Hypocritical Advice – People giving advice they aren’t willing to do themselves.  

Unproductive Advice – This can be in the form of cliches (i.e. “try harder”), to the non sensical, or just the flat out wrong

Unsolicited Advice – Perhaps one of the most common forms of inappropriate advice, this is advice that is not asked for (and usually not wanted.)  

Just those 3 examples alone violate the following commandments.

Commandment II – Ignorant
Commandment III – Inconsistent
Commandment IV- Unresourceful
Commandment VI – Indecent Assumption
Commandment VII – Misrepresenting
Commandment VIII – False Authority
Commandment X – Indecent Regard for Others

Be cautious and compassionate when giving advice.  It is often one of the most improperly used and over utilized tools.