Facts and opinions
When I try to say something, I remind myself that everything I am about to say is just an idea. I know nothing. Even if I happened to know something, it is just that I am lucky to have my opinion aligned with the facts. This attitude frees me from arguing with the audience. I have no interest in convincing anybody because I am incapable of doing it well.
All I have done is just my revealed preference. Something that has worked for me does not necessarily generalize to others. Because I can be wrong and make terrible mistakes, taking my words seriously and blindly is dangerous.
I also possess the same attitude towards others’ words. Whenever someone offers me unsolicited advice, I become alert and suspicious automatically. It is not that I am wired to distrust people but because I attempt to resist my temptation to react without consciousness. Some people’s suggestions may work for me, but many fail miserably. Just because something has worked for me in the past does not indicate it would work in the future, nor work for me.
I need a mechanism to protect myself. An alert and suspicion of others’ suggestions is the most efficient one because I don’t have to blame others for my blind following. I reject the idea that I should act or think as others wish or expect me to. Should I accept the point, I immediately become a zombie of others or a modern enslaved. That is the worst nightmare I can imagine.
I could possibly follow others’ advice if I deem it necessary. In this case, I accept others’ suggestions consciously. I behave according to my ideas and preferences and take full responsibility for what I do.
The wisdom of life lies in the differentiability of our own opinions and others’. We can benefit from taking others’ advice, but only if we carefully examine their validity and our own conditions. No golden rule nor silver bullet exists until we figure out how to live by ourselves.