How to Recognize Bad Advice (Learn to Look for This Cognitive Bias)
Life gets better when you learn who to take advice from.
People really like to give advice. I love that trait in people.
But…it doesn’t necessarily mean I should always listen.
Example: One of my goals for 2024 is to get to 21% body fat.
I’m pretty close, probably 2–4% away.
And I’ve nailed down my diet and work out regime. To the point that I lose the exact pounds of fat that I gain in muscle.
Anyone who’s ever tried to reach a certain body fat percentage knows…this is actually pretty difficult.
It takes a lot of testing and you don’t know your results for weeks.
I was lucky and figured it out within 2 weeks, which meant that I’ve had really fast progress.
YET — when I tell people about this goal…
And then tell them how I’ve nailed my numbers (with data as proof!!)…
It’s super common for people to start giving me advice and telling me to change what I’m doing.
I love it and appreciate it.
But the data speaks for itself. It doesn’t make sense to change anything I’m doing.
I am right on track.
Which has lead me to realize 2 things:
1. I need to think differently about who and when I take advice.
I need to filter through the advice to take and which doesn’t make sense. I like thinking about it through the lens of “does this person have what I want in this SPECIFIC category?” if yes, than I’ll take their advice.
2. I do this all the time!
Now I recognize that someone will talk to me about goals or problems and I’ll give out advice…with little to no context of their situation.
It’s the classic Solomon’s Paradox.
2024 is the year of realizing that not all advice should be taken at face value…even when it comes from people you really admire.
It’s crucial to remove your biases and assumptions and think through mental models before deciding to take advice.
Stuck on a business decision? Unsure whose advice to trust?
ThinkWithAI cuts through the noise that comes from Solomon’s Paradox.
Instead of seeing someone give advice on Twitter and wondering if you should follow it…
Our AI prompts, based on proven business insights, help you:
- Evaluate advice objectively
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All personalized to the context of your situation.
Stop second-guessing. Start making confident decisions.
