Everyone has a pet peeve, something that bothers them, gets under their skin or drives them crazy. I am no different as I definitely have one. It may not be high on other people's lists, but the action that bothers me the most is unsolicited advice. In fact I absolutely hate it when someone tells me what they think I should do without me first asking for their opinion. I usually listen politely while biting my lip as they start, "You really ought to . . . ", "If it were me I would . . .", "I think that you should . . .", etc. I didn't ask for their advice and they unwillingly gave it to me without knowing the issues that went into my decision making process, such as how it would effect my family, if I had the time, my husband's thoughts, just to name a few.
Not only do I find this behavior annoying, in all honesty, I actually find it offensive when someone gives me their unwanted opinion. Over the years I have come to realize that the givers of unsolicited advice care more about their needs than the receivers. It must give them a sense of superiority to think that they had more insight into someone else's lives than that person does. This couldn't be further from the truth as the giver has no accountability and no understanding of someone else's needs. An unwanted opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge and I truly believe that the world would be a better place if everyone practiced empathy instead and just kept their thoughts to themselves.
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