Let’s face it: unsolicited advice can be grating, especially when it feels repetitive, generic, or simply out of touch. But amidst the eye rolls and mental “yeah, yeah, yeahs,” some of these typical pearls of wisdom might hold a hidden nugget of truth. Here are 21 pieces of advice people often loathe hearing, along with a fresh perspective on why they might be worth considering:
“Just Be Yourself.”
While “Just be yourself” seems like positive encouragement, it can be bad advice in certain situations. “being yourself” can be interpreted as accepting all your flaws and quirks without striving to improve. This can lead to stagnation and missed opportunities for personal growth. If you struggle with negativity, rudeness, or harmful patterns, simply “being yourself” perpetuates those problems. Advice should encourage positive growth, not reinforce negativity.
“Follow Your Passion.”
Choosing a career is complex and influenced by multiple factors, not just “passion.” Many people have diverse interests and skills, making identifying a single “passion” career difficult. Your skills, personality, work-life balance, and financial stability all play crucial roles in your future and should not be ignored.
“Get Out of Your Comfort Zone.”
Growth often happens outside our comfort zones as it challenges us and helps build resilience. However, this is easier said than done, so we really want to hear how we can take steps to overcome our fears.
“Work Hard, Play Hard.”
“Work hard, play hard” often gets thrown around as a motivator for achieving success and enjoying life. The emphasis on “hard work” can glorify long hours and overwork, leading to burnout, stress, and neglecting other aspects of life like relationships, health, and personal growth. The flip side, “playing hard,” might involve excessive partying, spending, or unhealthy activities, negating the benefits of hard work and potentially leading to financial strain or personal issues.
“Don’t Give up on Your Dreams.”
Only some people’s dreams are achievable under their specific circumstances. Financial limitations, societal barriers, lack of access to resources, and personal limitations can make pursuing specific dreams difficult or even impossible.
“Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness.”
Happiness is a complex emotion influenced by health, relationships, purpose, and achievements. While money can’t guarantee happiness, it can remove significant stressors and provide opportunities that contribute to it (e.g., access to better healthcare, education, and experiences).
“Time is Money.”
Not everyone has equal access to opportunities or resources to maximize their “time-money” potential. This advice disregards systemic inequalities and can reinforce an “earn or be worthless” mentality that excludes and disadvantages certain groups.
“What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger.”
Trauma, pain, and hardship can leave lasting negative impacts on mental and physical health. While some individuals may experience personal growth after overcoming challenges, it’s crucial to acknowledge the diverse ways people react to adversity. Claiming everyone becomes stronger minimizes the severity of trauma and ignores the need for support and healing.
“Early to Bed, Early to Rise…”
Some people are naturally “night owls” and function best later in the evening, while others are “larks” who thrive on rising early. Forcing yourself to conform to a schedule that doesn’t align with your natural inclinations can disrupt sleep patterns and overall well-being.
“You Only Live Once.”
The pressure to experience everything and live life to the fullest can be overwhelming. It can lead to feelings of inadequacy and comparison, detracting from genuine enjoyment and self-discovery. Everyone has different values and aspirations for their lives. YOLO can push people towards experiences that don’t align with their motivations, creating a sense of inauthenticity or dissatisfaction.
“Everything Happens for a Reason.”
Many events in life occur due to random chance, not a predetermined plan. Attributing meaning or purpose to everything can be misleading and create a false sense of control.
“What Goes Around, Comes Around.”
Life is rarely black and white. Good actions don’t always guarantee positive outcomes; evil deeds don’t always receive immediate or direct retribution. This saying ignores the complex interplay of factors that influence our lives and the randomness that often plays a role.
“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.”
While minor annoyances might seem insignificant, they can accumulate significant stress or negativity over time. Ignoring them altogether can prevent addressing underlying issues or taking steps to improve your well-being.
Nap on Command
The age-old advice of napping when the baby naps when you have a baby is well-intentioned but causes some severe eye rolls. Taking naps on command can be challenging, with many other parenting duties to carry out when the baby is asleep.
“It Could Be Worse.”
When someone is feeling down, the most important thing is to offer empathy, support, and a listening ear. Avoid dismissive platitudes and focus on offering genuine care and resources to help them move forward. You are diminishing their true feelings when you tell someone they could be in a worse position.
“Smile for the Camera.”
We’ve all been there. Feeling low, maybe even burnt out, and instead of empathy, we get slapped with platitudes that do more harm than good. These one-size-fits-all pronouncements ignore the complexity of human emotions and the genuine challenges we face.
“Fight Your Bully.”
While some urge bullied kids to “man up” and retaliate, reality paints a much different picture. Bullies rarely pick fights they know they’ll lose, targeting those less likely to fight back. As one parent aptly points out, “epic movie moments” rarely translate to real-life confrontations, and expecting a bullied child to become a sudden fighting champion can be dangerous and misguided.
“Turn The Other Cheek.”
“Just ignore them,” they say. It is easy for them to preach, especially if they haven’t walked a mile in the shoes of someone facing emotional abuse. Ignoring negativity can be empowering, especially when dealing with irrelevant opinions. But what about when staying silent feels like condoning the behavior?
Become an Entrepreneur
“Quit your nine-to-five job and start a business,” suggests the thread leader. Of course, owning a business sounds desirable, but in reality, it is grueling and eats more cash than it yields. “Also, ‘do what you love; turn your hobby into a job,’” adds another person who values the stability of a job contract. “More like: ‘turn your hobby into something you hate,’” jokes a third.
”Turn it Off and On Again”
When someone tells us to do the primary task, it can be very annoying. Do people think we haven’t considered turning a device on and off again to get it working? This advice will lead to the most giant eye roll ever, so be careful who you ask when you need proper help.
“Just Go to Bed Earlier.”
Ah, yes, the age-old wisdom of ‘just sleep when you’re tired.’ If only it were that simple! Tell that to my overactive brain at 3 am.” People who ask for advice on getting better sleep have usually tried every trick in the book before coming to you!
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