I used to think giving advice was about having the right answer

I was talking to my neighbor, Mike, about a noisy HOA meeting, and he said, 'Sometimes the best advice is just to listen for five minutes before you say anything.' That stuck with me because I always jumped in to fix things. Last week, I tried it when my sister was stressed about her kid's school, and I just asked questions instead of giving my fix. It actually helped her figure it out herself. Has anyone else found that holding back your own solution works better?

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mila3956mo ago

That's an interesting take, but my experience has been pretty different. Sometimes people really do need a clear answer, not just more questions. I've seen situations where listening first just lets a problem get worse because no one steps in. There's a time for gentle help and a time for direct advice. In my view, always holding back your own fix can feel like you're not really helping at all. It depends on the person and the problem, but a straight answer is often what's missing.

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ryan_flores6mo ago

Ever been burned by waiting too long?

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