In On Liberty, Mill states that we must "prevent generation after generation from falling over the same precipice which has been fatal to their predecessors."
I can distinctly remember trying to share the outcome of an experience of mine with my sister when she began going through a similar situation. I tried to caution her against choosing to respond as I had. She chose to anyway (and later regretted it). It caused me to think "Why do we ignore people who share their hurt, their pain, and their experiences to try and help us? Why do we feel the need to go our own way in spite of warning?" Now of course, I can't say I blame her, had she tried to do the same thing to me I probably wouldn't have listened either, after all, we are siblings. But I genuinely wanted to help her and had her best interest at heart in this situation.
Of course you must be on your guard when seeking advice. Some people will give you "advice" because it works to their benefit or in their best interest. You must be able to think for yourself and detect lies and manipulation. You must also be very careful in getting advice from friends and peers that, however concerned and sincere, don't have enough life experience to give sound advice. However, I think it would behoove us all to take a little more time to seek out and heed the counsel of those older and wiser than us; our parents, teachers, pastors, mentors, and friends. You never know what pain and trouble you might save yourself by doing so...
I commented on Camila's post "Celebrating 250 Years of Candide!"
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