Why People Don’t Listen to Their Own Advice

Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own― Bruce Lee

We all know that giving advice is much easier than taking it. But what about when the tables are turned and we need to be the ones to take our own advice? Following other people’s suggestions is difficult enough, but expecting to follow our own is almost impossible. So read on – your sanity may just depend on it!

It’s quite simple to offer guidance: Anyone can do it. Anyone has the capacity to provide advice. Everyone has the ability to tell you what you should do. It does not, however, imply that someone’s viewpoint is correct for you just because they voice it.

When others are handing out advice, it’s typically simple to take it. We usually seek help from a friend when we’re having relationship problems. When you have a conflict with a coworker, what should you do? You get the idea.

Who knows you better than you? Nobody is more aware of your circumstances. Nobody knows everything about each scenario and potential result as well as you. Sometimes, we have to look in the mirror and ask for guidance.

Why do we so frequently seek advice from others? Because it is simple. We don’t have to think if someone tells us what to do.

Other times, we seek counsel from others to augment our own – but other people seldom have the same attachment to the conclusion as we do, making their view less valuable than ours.

It’s fine to seek advice from others, especially when you have a fresh pair of eyes, but keep in mind that it is YOU who must deal with your choices.

Giving and receiving advice is a two-way street, and it’s important to remember that the person giving the advice is often just as affected by it as the person receiving it. It can be tough to swallow our own medicine, but when we do, we open up new possibilities for growth.