The Rules to Break, 2nd Edition

RULE TO BREAK

“Give good advice”

Some people find this Rule easy to break, but most struggle with it. The fact is that it’s not good to give people advice if you can possibly help it. Tricky, I know, but important.

Just to clarify, it’s OK to advise friends on whether this top goes with these trousers, or what wine to drink with the meal, or where to get their car tyres replaced. I’m talking about emotional stuff here – whether to leave their girlfriend, how to handle their difficult mother, whether to quit their job. These are often big decisions too, which makes it even more important that you don’t tell them what to do.

The fact is that these things are based heavily on feelings. Your friend’s feelings, not yours. Only they know how they ...