A piece of advice.

Just a quick note of advice for people who have a habit of taking advice.

Of course the others can read too, but I don’t expect them to listen carefully.

If a person gives you reams of advice, and goes on and on for hours, and shows great delight in how sagacious he comes across while he’s at it…never, I repeat, NEVER take it.

If the advice is free and the talk is cheap, chances are the goods aren’t genuine material.

Instead if you have to force a person to cough up some advice, or if she seems doubtful about the advice she’s giving, it means that she has your welfare at heart and worries lest the advice goes wrong somewhere.

And last but not the least - however wonderful the advice seems, and however persuasive the giver - always remember that it is YOUR life, and if the advice turns out to be a lemon your adviser will just shrug his shoulders like…”See? I told you your life sucks!” and walk away with genuine unconcern.

Advice givers NEVER feel guilty about their gems screwing up your life for good. It’s as if they never gave that advice. “ I told you to draw that caricature of the boss and leave it on his desk. I didn't tell you to draw him in a bathing suit and SIGN it, did I? Better luck at your next job!”

But they will gloat ad nauseum about something which turns out right. That is sometimes worse than when things go wrong. They give you the “I told you so” face every time you meet for the next 30 years and you are indebted to those %^&ers for life.

Advice given by pompous know-alls can only end in grief whichever way it goes.

And though I seem to have very strongly (albeit inadvertently) advised you to never read MY blog again after this entry, let me reiterate -

Never, ever take freely given advice.

:)