People often give others advice, whether it was asked for or not. Sometimes, that advice is precisely what we need to hear and helps us make significant changes. Other times, it’s the absolute worst advice. To tell the difference, here are 18 types of people whose advice you should always ignore.
Hypocrites
You should never take advice from somebody who doesn’t do as they say. Hypocrites talk the talk but rarely walk the walk. They like putting on a display to garner favorable opinions, but they never put the effort into actually doing what they brag about. As a result, their advice has no merit.
Narcissists
Narcissists are challenging personalities to deal with because they like to be in control. As a result, they might give advice as a manipulation tactic. Psychology Today warns that they initially act like they’re attentive and interested in your needs but soon attempt to manipulate your feelings. Take care when accepting their advice.
Unreliable People
Unreliable people are defined by their flakiness, so their advice will likely be as unreliable as they are. They’re prone to changing their minds depending on the situation, so they won’t be able to offer you anything concrete. They might even change their minds about what they said and confuse you.
Jealous People
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if someone is jealous of you because they won’t admit it, but if you suspect it, ignore their advice. When someone is envious of your life, relationship, or success, they’ll attempt to sabotage you by giving bad advice. Measure their words against other people’s advice for clarity.
People Who Lack Self-Awareness
It’s easy to recognize when somebody lacks self-awareness because they broadcast it without realizing it. They overestimate themselves, get defensive when criticized, and don’t like being told what to do. They won’t take advice from other people, so why would you take theirs? It’s likely short-sighted and fueled by their ego.
Gossip Mongers
You should always be wary of people who gossip because they try to involve themselves in everyone’s business. Their advice could be sincere, but it could also result from rumor-mongering. They might be trying to fuel more gossip, so their advice probably won’t help.
Hotheads
Hotheaded people are impulsive and usually don’t think before they act. While this often pays off for them, it’s wise to be more careful with your decisions. That’s why you should thank them for their advice but disregard it. When you think things through, their advice might seem too reckless.
Sociopaths
People with antisocial personality disorder are very tough to deal with. Psych Central warns that they may be less likely to experience remorse and empathy, as well as being more deceitful. That doesn’t mean their advice is always bad, but it might lack the empathy and understanding that your situation requires.
Arrogant People
Confident people are inspiring, but arrogant people are too self-assured to give balanced advice. They frequently look down on other people as inferior, and their advice will reflect that. If they see you as competition, they’ll deliberately try to sabotage you because they hate not being the center of attention.
Negative People
People who are constantly negative usually don’t have anything positive to say. Their negative worldview colors their advice, so you likely won’t get anything balanced from them. If they’re feeling particularly negative, they might give bad advice to drag you down with them, so don’t take what they say to heart.
Uninformed People
None of us know it all, so it’s best to seek advice from people who understand your situation. For example, if you want career advice, somebody who works in your industry will give better advice than someone who doesn’t. Uninformed people aren’t maliciously unhelpful; they just lack the knowledge you need.
Perpetual Victims
Unfortunately, some people love to play the victim. Even if you’re not involved in their drama, you don’t want to feed their victim complex by taking their advice. They might deliberately misguide you or be too entangled in their own issues to give good advice. Either way, take it with a grain of salt.
Passive-Aggressive People
Passive-aggressive people are always frustrating to talk to. According to Mayo Clinic, there’s a disconnect between what passive-aggressive people say and what they do. They’re often resentful and hate cooperating with others, so their advice is probably biased. Like negative people, they struggle to be objective and see both sides.
Busybodies
Busybodies are driven by nosiness, so be mindful when asking them for advice. They may be digging for details or trying to meddle in your private business, which will influence the advice they give. They might even try to force their advice when it’s unwarranted because they want to be involved.
Attention Seekers
Attention seekers love to be in the social spotlight, so they probably won’t offer advice unless you ask for it. However, that doesn’t mean you should listen to it. Remember, they’ll usually do anything for attention, so they might give you bad advice if it creates drama that involves them.
Liars
There’s a reason you can’t trust liars: they’re never honest. Good advice is balanced and sincere, so people who chronically lie won’t give that to you. If they can’t see the value in the truth, why would they share it? They may not have malicious intentions, but their advice isn’t objective enough to trust.
Manipulative People
Some people are so good at manipulating others that they often go undetected. Verywell Health reports that common manipulation tactics include gaslighting, criticizing, and blaming, so look out for those signs in someone’s advice. Manipulative people will use you for their own means, making their advice unreliable.
People with Different Goals
Sometimes, even if you’re taking advice from an informed person, it might not apply to your situation. For example, a co-worker with different industry goals won’t give the precise advice you need. Instead, seek advice from people who know what they’re talking about and identify with your goals.
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