Sometimes it’s Not Good to Listen

Sometimes, it's good not to listen!

Over the years, we get a fair share of advice on different things, personal and professional, from well meaning people around us. It spans from recommendations on which courses to pursue, to which colleges to apply, when to get married, which company to join, when to switch jobs etc etc.

Often, people are genuine in their perspective and concern for our well being, and share what they believe would work best for us. However, there is a catch. Since they are concerned for us, but haven't walked in our shoes, the advice is idealistic and not necessarily relatable or practical.

The same people when comforted with the same set of opportunities and challenges behave differently. For instance, the person who told you to puruse a job in a Fortune 500 firm, may now be pursuing a career in a start-up, or the same person who recommended getting married by XX age is more than comfortable taking their time to get married or not.

I have learnt it the the hard way. We need to take decisions based on what we feel, and not driven by well meaning advice or what people expect. As they say, "only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches"