Visceral Advice
April, 2007
I’m now sure that most advice is wasted.
I’ve ran into several problems recently, after which I thought Gosh, so-and-so’s advice was right! The problem is that I never remember so-and-so’s advice when I’m actually in the situation. There’s a bug somewhere between hearing the advice and recalling it in the situation.
I’ve been trying to fix this bug. I’m going to try to imagine two things whenever I hear advice: the experience that generated it, and myself in a situation that calls for the advice.
I think this exercise will help me generate better questions for the advice giver, too.