Bashar’s 2 Cents

Why do we give unsolicited advice? What motivates us to give it? And why is the give-and-take equation so disproportionate?

Sometimes we give unsolicited advice because we care. We do it because we’ve experienced a similar situation. We do it to show off our knowledge. We do it to just feel good about ourselves. We give it because we think it is solicited merely because this person is talking to us about his/her issues.

On the other hand, we don’t take unsolicited advice for reasons that are along the same lines as the aforementioned ones. We don’t care, we want to experience it ourselves, we don’t want to be perceived as idiots, it doesn’t make us feel good about ourselves, and for the simple fact that we are not asking for it.

We respond to unsolicited advice the same way that others do when we give them our own version. In return, we develop resentment towards them and their issues, and dissatisfaction with their attitude. We never stop and put the shoe on the other foot.

So how do we deal with this hypocrisy? We have to learn how to curb the urge to give unsolicited advice and wait until it’s asked of us to give. We have to try the shoe on the other foot every once in a while.

I found the blog below to be more enlightening on the same subject:
http://30sleeps.com/blog/2007/12/27/unsolicited-advice/