Telling Someone What They Should Do Isn’t Helping

There’s a fine line between advice giving and ego inflating

Photo by J W on Unsplash

The older I get, the more I see that as humans, we love to tell one another what to do.

Don’t eat that, eat this.

Don’t say that, say this.

Don’t believe that, believe this.

Don’t do that; do this.

You’re wrong, and I’m right, and you should do what I tell you to do.

Isn’t it exhausting?

I can’t help but wonder what the world would be like if we shared fewer opinions about how others were leading their lives, and spending their time, and developing their own careers, and more time focusing on the energy that we put forth.

What would we accomplish in a given day if we stopped pouring energy into what other people were doing, and what we think other people should be doing, and paid more attention to how we’re using our time?

What if, instead of getting into fights on social media, you had a real discussion with another human being over a cup of coffee? Or read a book about a topic that extends beyond your community, your culture, your beliefs, or your values? What if you stopped spouting your own values and ideas long enough to listen to…