What makes someone good at giving advice and/or taking it?

1. 73

   Dan Barfieldposted 12 years ago

   What makes someone good at giving advice and/or taking it?
   
   Once upon a time I was neither good at taking advice nor confident enough to give it. These days, I find not only that I am much better at heeding the wisdom of others... but I am confident in my judgement enough to know when it is appropriate to give share my opinion. Also, I have found that people look to me for advice for some reason. What do you think are the best attributes of someone who gives and takes advice well? Also... are you one of those people?
   
   

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2. 100

   Theophanesposted 12 years ago

   The best advice giver is one that only gives advice when asked. Unwanted advice is most often given by people who believe they know how to fix everyone else's life (but curiously never manage to fix their own!) Upon giving advice a wise individual will be OK with the decision regardless if their advice was heeded or not. No one wants to hear, "I told you so!"
   
   Beyond that it's good to have something to back up your point of view. Make it a discussion of logic, be gentle but persuasive. If you've got your own life together you're probably the kind of person that gives good advice because you've already figured it out.

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3. 60

   THEmikeLOposted 12 years ago

   Many people also gravitate towards me to advice and I strongly believe that the main purpose for this is that i am not judgmental.  Whatever advice you are searching for I will give my true opinion, even if I can tell that the person who is asking is looking for a different answer and i feel that people appreciate that.
   
   People who take advice must have an open mind to other opinions.  Without this they will never be able to take advice or listen to it, it will simply go out one ear and out the other!

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4. 84

   ii3rittlesposted 12 years ago

   Understanding.
   
   If you are able to truly understand a person and their situation, you can approach them with kind, loving, unbiased and nonjudgmental advise. This goes for taking it as well. If you can understand where a person is coming from with what they are suggesting, you will be able to decide if it is good advise or bad advise. The heart never lies.

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5. 64

   Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

   I think the best "advice-giver" is someone who won't give advice (because he knows that, no matter how experienced, old, or otherwise "wise" he may be; the other person may be in a situation even a "mainly wise enough"/"mainly experienced" person may not understand sufficiently). but, instead, aims to just share his own "take on the matter"/"objective perspective" - which is different from giving advice.  Best advice takers, I guess, would be people who a) want the advice, and b) respect the ideas of the person they ask enough to at least "take them under advisement".   

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6. 61

   C.V.Rajanposted 12 years ago

   To give advice, no qualification needed. Even good-for-nothing people give advice if a hapless listener is in front of them!
   
   But to receive advice, on must have some amount of respect on the wisdom and the capability of the giver.

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7. 84

   peachpurpleposted 12 years ago

   The best advice is when it works at the problem. Unwanted advice is just an onlooker busybody action.

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