Good advice isn’t always the right advice.
Marie Kondo has a book where she discusses the benefits of minimalism. She encourages getting rid of excess stuff by taking an item and asking yourself if you get joy by having it. This works great for people that need to take a step in getting rid of junk that fills their home and mind.
It’s clearly good advice, but what if the right advice is to realize that maybe you don’t need anything and that deriving true joy from an item might not be a solid foundation of happiness. Maybe the right advice is to get rid of most everything. But people can’t follow the right advice – to transcend your human desires to hoard items and not have your joy tethered to mundane stuff.
James Altucher, author of “Chose Yourself,” is known for having thrown out all his items, even his college diploma. Maybe he’s over corrected a bit there from having way too much stuff earlier in life, but don’t focus on this example as much as the underlying concept.
Situation – Your husband is abusive.
Good advice – Have an honest talk.
Right advice – Divorce him tonight.
Situation – Your worm store business is going under.
Good advice – Get your costs down and do some more market research.
Right advice – Shut it down.
Situation – Your 60 lbs overweight.
Good advice – Cut back on soda.
Right advice – Work out a ton, change your entire diet.
Conversely, just because it’s the right advice, doesn’t mean that it’s good. As seen here:
Situation – You’re an alcoholic.
Good advice – Join AA, stop drinking altogether.
Right advice – Only drink a couple beers at a time.
Many alcoholics won’t be able to achieve the right advice. It’s a balance, but you have to see that balance between “good” and “right” to begin with.
How much time are we wasting trying to find the “good advice,” which is advice you can agree with and easily implement vs the advice that’s right and effective, but takes discipline to execute.
Stop looking for good advice and start thinking about the right advice that you don’t want to hear.
