Low Man?

" . . . when women are the advisers, the lords of creation don't take the advice till they have persuaded themselves that is is just what they intended to do; then they act upon it, and if it succeeds, they give the weaker vessel half the credit of it; if it fails, they generously give her the whole." ~ Louisa May Alcott

Maybe I am just venting here--well definitely I am venting! It is so frustrating to me that so often people seek advice that they don't really want to hear. I feel like I should have a pack of earplugs ready so the next time someone (usually a male, in my situation) asks for my opinion, I can hand him the plugs so he can stuff them in his ears before I open my mouth.


Don't get me wrong, I am good with words, both written and spoken, and don't usually aim to assault but at some point, I wonder if there really is a point! How many times can I say the same thing? How many times do I have to say the same thing . . . before a friend of his (or even a doctor) comes along to validate what I've been saying all along? Am I a know-it-all? Not really. I don't fancy myself to have all of the answers because really, there would be no point in furthering my existence. No. I just feel that I've paid my dues by listening, conversing, and trading information with people from many walks of life . . . enough to have picked up on some very important keys to life.

On top of just listening to others, it's amazing what knowledge can be found in books, yes you heard me (or that voice in your head that you think might sound like me), books. I've read a great deal too, and not just fiction, but everything from philisophy to psychology, science to biography, even have time invested in learning how to "Talk Like a Pirate" . . . Argh! Therein lies a bit of an issue; if someone is asking you for information, they presume you have knowledge but when you give it to them enough times, somehow you become a know-it-all! *zips lips*


So why then, do people ask for advice/opinion if they don't really want it? Simple. Because they already know what they want but they need someone to hold their hand, to validate them. My solution is this: If you're torn between two things and need help deciding what you want, flip a coin. If your coin requires a "best 2 out of 3" and then a "best 4 out of 5", you will realize that you know exactly what you want. It's my personal "Theory of Exclusion".

"Advice would be so much easier to listen to if it didn't always conflict with our plans."

So to all of my friends out there, my best advice to you (because you'll listen much better then the male species will) is that the next time that difficult man asks you for your opinion/advice, you take out those earplugs you've got and stuff them in your own ears before he opens his mouth! ♥