Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Philosophy Club

[Jnapika D]

Come to think of it, these so-called unhappy people may have been through many experiences that brought them to where they find themselves. They may have a thing or two, that is, lessons and advice to give someone who they think is going through the same path they went through that brought them to where they are. They're unhappy not because they wish to be, but because of some decisions they made that landed them in trouble and caused their unhappiness. Such people will surely have something to tell others to prevent them from going astray. An obese person can tell you not to eat junk because it was junkfood that made him obese. A poor person can advice you not to invest in crypto because crypto made him broke, and so on. So I believe that unhappy people or poor people or obese people may tell you things that will help you not to walk the path they did that made them what they are, thereby helping you to avoid being like them.

That was exactly what I was trying to convey too; I couldn't have said it better myself.

[Thera reads]

Misery as they say loves company. Sad people don't want to be sad alone so they try to annoy people too.

[Terrine Wild]

I totaĺly agree with that statement. We should try as much as possible to avoid listening to those who have stopped trying to fight for their dreams.

[Bettny Andrade]

It's so true!

On many occasions I have been talking about positive things in meetings, and some people have made comments in the form of such absurdly pessimistic advice, and that is not the most serious thing, the most serious thing is that the other people present agree with them.

With that I have learned to measure my words, and not openly share my thoughts to pessimistic people.

[Witch Cavil]

Unhappy people can still give the best advices. However, we sould avoid bitter people who project failures on us. It is best to steer clear.

[Marina Flisvou]

Everyone has their own life experiences. Even if someone seems unhappy, they might have important advice because of what they've been through. Instead of focusing on how they seem, think about what they're saying. Every person has something valuable to share.

[Kutloano Makhuvhela]

'I don't take advice from people who are less successful as me.' That's a quote from an American rapper, Ye. Although that might sound cocky, and slightly if not greatly condescending, I think it is correct. I don't quite understand what would an unhappy person have to say to you to make you happy. You have to fill your glass before you can begin to attempt to fill theirs. So I think your case holds.

[Favour Ozone]

I agree, an unhappy person wouldn't want you to succeed where he/she has failed. They would like to see you follow the same part as them so you will end up just as they did. The only unhappy person that can give u a good advice is your family member. This is because they wouldn't want you to suffer the same fate as them.

[Eckhart Aurelius Hughes]

This is just to elaborate and re-phrase on the points from the OP:


When choosing (1) which book to read of the millions of books that there are out there to read, or (2) which advisor/mentor to go with out of the literally billions of people eager to shove their advice down your throat, or (3) even things like which diet and exercise plan to test out next to see if it works out of the millions out there... Remember that you have to say no to 99.99999% of them. You cannot test them all. You cannot give them all a shot. You cannot even give 1% a shot.

It's not enough that a book isn't the worst. It's not enough that someone's advice isn't definitely wrong.

"Might be right" is not good enough.

"Not always wrong" is not good enough.

"Isn't the worst" is not good enough.

Even being better than 99% of other books is not good enough for a book to warrant taking your very limited to read--because you don't even have time to read 1% of the books that are out there available to read.

Likewise, even being more reliable than 99% of other advisors is not good enough for you to take a person's advice.

Of all the millions and billions of applicants offering you advice or a plan that you could follow, you want to choose the advice that is the absolute #1 most reliable of all available to you.

Even one small red flag is a deal-breaker.

If the person hasn't proven their advice works by putting it into practice themselves, that is a deal-breaking red flag. It's not the only possible red flag or deal-breaker, but all it takes is one because your time is so limited and the market is so saturated.

Don't take financial advice from poor people, don't take weight loss advice from obese people, and don't take any advice at all ever from unhappy people.

Take advice from people who are already successful in ALL the ways you would want to be, the most important of which is being happy, truly happy, in the sense of having unwavering consistent free-spirited brave invincible inner peace, what some would even call nirvana or enlightenment or grace itself.

That is, unless you want to be unhappy. If you want to be unhappy, then definitely go and follow unhappy people's advice.


With love,
Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
a.k.a. Scott

[Runan]

I do agree with what you have said, Scott. But I think sometimes their experience can serve as a solution to a given problem. They have made mistakes and regret them; they advise one not to go down the same path. So in a given situation, their advice can come in handy because of their experience. But this is not the case all the time. In most situations, as you rightly said, it is better not to take advice from unhappy people.

[Chioma Oz]

This reminds me of the adage, "you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." It underscores the idea that the people we choose to surround ourselves with can significantly influence our attitudes and well-being. If we consistently engage with unhappy individuals, their negative energy may impact our own happiness and overall outlook on life.

[Joy Wendy]

Nothing can make me take an advice from an unhappy person. The only thing that come out of them are negative things. Which isn't good for anybody. I'd advice anyone to flee from unhappy persons.

[Tommy Mayengbam]

It makes sense to be cautious about taking advice from unhappy people, but I think it really comes down to what they're talking about.

Let's say A is a divorcee who'd give up everything to return to the past when he once shared a healthy relationship with his wife and kids. If he advises me against cheating, seeking short-term pleasures, and taking my family for granted, I'd probably take that advice seriously. However, if A, the unhappy divorcee, suggests partying hard and living in the moment, I'd likely pass on that advice.

In short, I'd consider the advice of an unhappy person based on what he is saying, his own situation, and what he has been through.

[Paavni Jain]

While considering diverse perspectives is valuable, it's important to recognize that advice from unhappy individuals might be influenced by their own experiences and emotions. It's advisable to weigh advice based on its merit and applicability to your unique situation.

[Osakwe Favour]

I think this means that it's better to listen to advice from those who are positive and happy. Unhappy people might not have the right mindset to give helpful guidance. It's important to surround yourself with positivity at all times but then sometimes this unhappy people might have experiences one might be need of.