Some people know that I am not at all a fan of unsolicited advice…
And saying “I’m not a fan…” is actually putting it pretty mildly because I truly cannot stand when people give advice that I didn’t ask for because they’re “just trying to help…”
And don’t get me wrong… I have no problem seeking out the wise counsel of someone when necessary….
But unsolicited advice is annoying because in my experience that advice has never been helpful because the person offering the advice usually doesn’t fully understand the complexities of the scenario or situation that they are trying to advise…
It has been my experience that they just blurt out this solution… oftentimes cutting me off mid-sentence…
A solution that isn’t helpful…
Thus wasting my time and theirs…
But I guess I never really thought about the fact that one of the main reasons receiving unsolicited advice annoys me is because it wastes my time…
Like I never made that connection until just now…
And it actually makes a lot of sense that the wasted time is a huge determining factor in the reason unsolicited advice bothers me… because I’m generally not even a fan of small talk because I would rather just “get to the point…”
I wonder if this revelation will change the way that I respond to unsolicited advice going forward… because I know that not everyone views the way that they spend their time the same…
Mean some people actually enjoy small talk and think it’s a great way to connect…
These same people may also be fine with receiving unsolicited advice that isn’t helpful… and may not view it as a waste of their time…
I guess only time will tell the way that I respond to it in the (hopefully distant) future…