Connect with us

Success Advice

5 of the Worst Pieces of Advice and How to Understand Them Better

Published

on

what to do with bad advice
Image Credit: Unsplash

Ever noticed how easy it is to offer advice? You go to Google, find an inspiring quote and share it with your struggling friend. Yes, it’s well-meaning help, but sometimes it does more harm than good. 

In this post, we will dive deeper into some of the most popular pieces of advice out there that you should forget about. Without further ado, let’s separate the wheat from the chaff:

1. Follow your passion

Let’s be honest, this is one of the trendy cliche pieces of advice you will get or even give to a friend or colleague. It goes something like this, “Find your passion and you don’t have to work a day in your life.”

It’s true that most of the successful people pursue something they are passionate about, right? The problem though, is the unlucky majority who didn’t succeed after pursuing their passions. We don’t hear a lot about this group, but instead magnify the minority who are victorious and assume that passion is the miracle drug for success.

Yes, your passion is important but you have to dig deeper. You have to look at the reality of things such as what are the available opportunities, what is the competition out there, do l have the resources and if so, what’s the plan?

In other words, you have to identify the best match for your passion and the opportunities out there. Find that sweet spot, be prepared to grind and you will be on your way to success.

2. Never give up

You’ve heard this advice a million times. On the surface it’s well-meaning advice, but if we dig deeper there are flaws in it. 

Life is a journey, and along the way there will be decisions to make, some will be successful but others will be dramatic failures. In the process of trying to make things work, we overstay when we should have packed our bags and left.

For instance, banging your head on a concrete wall to crack it seems absurd, but that’s what happens sometimes in life. Continuous pounding on the wall will only shatter your skull and escalate your pain. Being stubbornly persistent in this scenario will not yield positive results, but more suffering.

You can quit using your head but not give up on the concrete wall. Instead, you can use a sledge hammer and burst a hole through the concrete. In other words, It’s about quitting the things that don’t work out.

Knowing when to pack and leave won’t be easy. Having a trusted inner circle can help you through because you already trust their feedback. It could mean the light to a blindspot you didn’t know you had.

Leave it behind, pack the lessons with you and move on to something else. It won’t feel great to fold up but sometimes it’s the best decision. Just understand that not everything will work and sometimes some ideas are better killed or abandoned. So yes, it’s okay to give up, but don’t give up on trying something new or different.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” – Abraham Lincoln  

3. Good things only come to those that wait

We live in a fast-paced society but unfortunately our staying power is on a downward spiral. And what’s worse? The few that have it are infected with a disease called passive patience. This is where someone sits around doing nothing expecting success to magically knock on their door. It’s a pipe dream and you will only waste your life away.

On the other hand, there is active patience. This is where you’re still hopeful of achieving success but instead, take action to pursue your dreams. Yes you’re patient, but you also understand that you have an active role to play in the grand scheme of things.

Roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and do what needs to be done because it’s the best way to be patient with your success.

4. You are perfect just the way you are

Let’s be honest, nobody has every dimension of their life completely figured out. Everyone has an area they are struggling with. Look at it this way: If you’re perfect, it means you’re not growing but stagnating instead. That’s not what you want. You want to keep challenging yourself by growing your skills or even chasing new dreams because that’s how we grow.

In other words, at any single point in life we will be both perfect and imperfect. There’s beauty in that because we are all a work in progress. So, don’t beat yourself up, be kind instead, and keep going.

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change.” – Paulo Coelho

5. You can do anything that you put your mind to

What if you wanted to a 12ft tall man? Would putting your mind into it help? You guessed it, not a chance. You see, not everyone can be a nobel prize winner or even a world-class athlete. What you should understand is that your uniqueness qualifies you to excel in certain areas in life. No, you don’t have to bury your ambition and live on auto-pilot.

Make peace with the fact that your ambitions will change as you go through life. There’s a chance that in a decade you will be aiming at a totally different thing from what you’re pursuing right now.

In short, before you offer advice, take your time and think through it. It may take time but at least you will have saved a colleague from the heartache that comes with bad advice. Your friends trust you so at least do your part by being careful when offering them some of the above advice. It’s not too much to ask for the sake of that treasured friendship. Can you handle it?

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Share it with us below!

Edwin Warui is a Content Marketer on a grand mission to help businesses create magnetic content that inspires and builds trust with their audience. If you’re tired of boring content, click this link and get in touch with me - https://writer.me/edwin-warui/.

Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Success Advice

Inside the TikTok Resume Hack That’s Fooling Recruiters (For Now)

A viral TikTok resume trick promises interviews overnight, yet one wrong move could blacklist you from future jobs.

Published

on

AI resume hacks
Image Credit: Midjourney

Your job hunt has stalled out. After weeks of submitting online applications, you haven’t had a nibble. (more…)

Continue Reading

Life

9 Harsh Truths Every Young Man Must Face to Succeed in the Modern World

Before chasing success, every young man needs to face these 9 brutal realities shaping masculinity in the modern world.

Published

on

harsh truths for young men
Image Credit: Midjourney

Many young men today quietly battle depression, loneliness, and a sense of confusion about who they’re meant to be.

Some blame the lack of deep friendships or romantic relationships. Others feel lost in a digital world that often labels traditional masculinity as “toxic.”

But the truth is this: becoming a man in the modern age takes more than just surviving. It takes resilience, direction, and a willingness to grow even when no one’s watching.

Success doesn’t arrive by accident or luck. It’s built on discipline, sacrifice, and consistency.

Here are 9 harsh truths every young man should know if he wants to thrive, not just survive, in the digital age.

1. Never Use Your Illness as an Excuse

As Dr. Jordan B. Peterson often says, successful people don’t complain; they act.

Your illness, hardship, or struggle shouldn’t define your limits; it should define your motivation. Rest when you must, but always get back up and keep building your dreams. Motivation doesn’t appear magically. It comes after you take action.

Here are five key lessons I’ve learned from Dr. Peterson:

  • Learn to write clearly; clarity of thought makes you dangerous.

  • Read quality literature in your free time.

  • Nurture a strong relationship with your family.

  • Share your ideas publicly; your voice matters.

  • Become a “monster”, powerful, but disciplined enough to control it.

The best leaders and thinkers are grounded. They welcome criticism, adapt quickly, and keep moving forward no matter what.

2. You Can’t Please Everyone And That’s Okay

You don’t need a crowd of people to feel fulfilled. You need a few friends who genuinely accept you for who you are.

If your circle doesn’t bring out your best, it’s okay to walk away. Solitude can be a powerful teacher. It gives you space to understand what you truly want from life. Remember, successful men aren’t people-pleasers; they’re purpose-driven.

3. You Can Control the Process, Not the Outcome

Especially in creative work, writing, business, or content creation, you control effort, not results.

You might publish two articles a day, but you can’t dictate which one will go viral. Focus on mastery, not metrics. Many great writers toiled for years in obscurity before anyone noticed them. Rejection, criticism, and indifference are all part of the path.

The best creators focus on storytelling, not applause.

4. Rejection Is Never Personal

Rejection doesn’t mean you’re unworthy. It simply means your offer, idea, or timing didn’t align.

Every successful person has faced rejection repeatedly. What separates them is persistence and perspective. They see rejection as feedback, not failure. The faster you learn that truth, the faster you’ll grow.

5. Women Value Comfort and Security

Understanding women requires maturity and empathy.

Through books, lectures, and personal growth, I’ve learned that most women desire a man who is grounded, intelligent, confident, emotionally stable, and consistent. Some want humor, others intellect, but nearly all want to feel safe and supported.

Instead of chasing attention, work on self-improvement. Build competence and confidence, and the rest will follow naturally.

6. There’s No Such Thing as Failure, Only Lessons

A powerful lesson from Neuro-Linguistic Programming: failure only exists when you stop trying.

Every mistake brings data. Every setback builds wisdom. The most successful men aren’t fearless. They’ve simply learned to act despite fear.

Be proud of your scars. They’re proof you were brave enough to try.

7. Public Speaking Is an Art Form

Public speaking is one of the most valuable and underrated skills a man can master.

It’s not about perfection; it’s about connection. The best speakers tell stories, inspire confidence, and make people feel seen. They research deeply, speak honestly, and practice relentlessly.

If you can speak well, you can lead, sell, teach, and inspire. Start small, practice at work, in class, or even in front of a mirror, and watch your confidence skyrocket.

8. Teaching Is Leadership in Disguise

Great teachers are not just knowledgeable. They’re brave, compassionate, and disciplined.

Teaching forces you to articulate what you know, and in doing so, you master it at a deeper level. Whether you’re mentoring a peer, leading a team, or sharing insights online, teaching refines your purpose.

Lifelong learners become lifelong leaders.

9. Study Human Nature to Achieve Your Dreams

One of the toughest lessons to accept: most people are self-interested.

That’s not cynicism, it’s human nature. Understanding this helps you navigate relationships, business, and communication more effectively.

Everyone has a darker side, but successful people learn to channel theirs productively into discipline, creativity, and drive.

Psychology isn’t just theory; it’s a toolkit. Learn how people think, act, and decide, and you’ll know how to lead them, influence them, and even understand yourself better.

Final Thoughts

The digital age offers endless opportunities, but only to those who are willing to take responsibility, confront discomfort, and keep improving.

Becoming a man today means embracing the hard truths most avoid.

Because at the end of the day, success isn’t about luck. It’s about who you become when life tests you the most.

Continue Reading

Change Your Mindset

Work-Life Balance Isn’t a Myth: Here’s How to Actually Make It Happen

Work stress doesn’t have to win, here’s how to protect your peace and thrive in any workplace.

Published

on

workplace stress management techniques
Image Credit: Midjourney

Starting a new job often comes with excitement and ambition. Yet, beneath that initial enthusiasm, many employees quickly encounter the reality of workplace challenges, especially stress. (more…)

Continue Reading

Change Your Mindset

The Four Types of Happiness: Which One Are You Living In?

Most people chase success only to find emptiness, this model reveals why true happiness lies somewhere else.

Published

on

happiness model explained
Image Credit: Midjourney

In a world driven by rapid technological growth and constant competition, many people unknowingly trade joy for achievement. (more…)

Continue Reading

Trending