"You don't know what a person really thinks until you hear his or her advice. Along these lines, if you really want to know what a person thinks, ask for advice and he or she will open up. "
"The advice-giving mode mobilizes insights which otherwise remain dormant, perhaps for fear of falsification or ridicule or of actually influencing people. "Interesting. And I can see the truth in both of these quotes. I often hesitate to give advice because I don't want others to feel like I'm trying to control them or influence their life. If others ask me for advice, however, I'm much more likely to give it. It's also much easier to give advice if asked a good, specific question. Here's another quote that reflects the fear I had about giving advice:
Often we do not trust people until we hear their advice. We suspect in any case that they wish to control us, and until we know what they have in mind, we remain wary. Sometimes it is necessary to give advice -- even pointless advice -- to establish trust.Really interesting. I've never thought about the relationship between giving and receiving advice and how much we trust someone. Also, as a side note, it seems to me that guys give advice more than girls want to hear it. At least that seems to be the stereotype.
What do you think about giving advice to establish trust? How can you do that without coming across and controlling?
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