Be Wary Of Advice

[gdpt-]

There was a withered tree standing in the corner of a man's backyard.

"It's unlucky to keep a withered tree," said his neighbor.
"Cut it down before something unpleasant happens."

The man cut down the tree.
His neighbor came with his two sons and asked for and dragged away the branches for fuel.

"All he wanted was the wood," thought the owner of the tree, ruefully.
"Cutting down the tree may not improve my luck, but it has certainly benefited him."



QUESTIONS: Certainly, you do not need to answer every question. However, these are questions you might want to consider.
-What's the moral of the story?

-Do you think the neighbor tricked the man to cut down the tree due to good intentions or out of mere selfishness?

- Why do you think the title is "Be Wary of Advice?"

- Do advices often result in a negative outcome or a positive one?

- Can you recall a moment when an advice was given to you out of bad intentions?

:tam:

[colorsOftheRain]

There was a withered tree standing in the corner of a man's backyard.

"It's unlucky to keep a withered tree," said his neighbor.
"Cut it down before something unpleasant happens."

The man cut down the tree.
His neighbor came with his two sons and asked for and dragged away the branches for fuel.

"All he wanted was the wood," thought the owner of the tree, ruefully.
"Cutting down the tree may not improve my luck, but it has certainly benefited him."



QUESTIONS: Certainly, you do not need to answer every question. However, these are questions you might want to consider.
-What's the moral of the story?

Think twice about whatever people advise you to do. Don't assume that everybody who's advising you is doing that out of purely good intention. There might be a hidden agenda that they won't disclose to you right away. That hidden agenda is probably what's gonna make you feel like a fool after you learn about it.
In general, i think, you don't just think twice about whatever people ADVISE you to do, you'd better think twice about whatever people SAY to you. That advice also applies when you read anything e.g an article in a newspaper; try to "read between the lines".
I guess what I'm saying is when you receive any information from any sources, try not to be a passive receiver, try to be active, put your thoughts into it before making any kinds of judgments or decisions.

There's a song called Mr. Intentional by Lauryn Hill which is pretty much on this topic(If I understand the meaning of the song correctly :-P). Here's the youtube link of that song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYYJBR3IYFw

and the lyric (I stole from sing365.com :-P):


Yeah, yeaaayh, yeah heh, yeah heh, yeah heh...
See the road to hell is paved with good intentions
Can't you tell the way they have to mention
How they've helped you out; you're such a hopeless victim
Please don't do me any favors, Mr. Intentional
All their talk is seasoned to perfection
The road they walk, commanding your affection
They need to be needed, deceived by motivation
An opportunity, to further situation
Why they so important, is without explanation
Please don't patrionize me, Mr. Intentional
Oh, ohhh, ohh ohhh
We give rise to ego by being insecure
The advice that we go desperatly searching for
The subconscious effort to support our paramour
To engage in denial, to admit we're immature
Validating lies, Mr. Intentional
Open up yours eyes, Mr. Intentional
Stuck in a system that seeks to suck your blood
Held emotionally hostage by what everybody does
Counting all the money that you give them just because
Exploiting ignorance in the name of love
Stop before you drop because that's just the way it works
Please don't justify me, Mr. Intentional
Oh one dimensional, Mr. Intentional
Ohhh, oh don't you do me any favors
Ohhh, ohhhh, ohh ohhhh
Wake up you've been sleeping
Take up your bed and walk
Stop blaming other people
Oh it's nobody else's fault
Accept the truth about you
You know that life goes on without you
And your expensive misinventions
Disguising your intentions
Don't worship my hurt feelings, Mr. Intentional
Oh, oh oh oh
See I know you can't help me, Mr. Intentional
The only help I need to live, is unprofessional
The only wealth I have to give, is not material
And if you need much more than that, I'm not available
Please don't entertain me, Mr. Intentional
Oh I dont need your sympthy, Mr. Intentional
Stay away from me, Mr. Intentional
So one dimensional, Mr. Promotional, Mr. Emotional, Mr. Intentional
Ohhh ohhhh, ohhhh

[iPropose]

-What's the moral of the story? *** Don't be supersitious!

-Do you think the neighbor tricked the man to cut down the tree due to good intentions or out of mere selfishness? *** Not really. He might be just superstitious and gave out the advice. Then after the tree was cut down, he realizes that he might as well be twice as nice to clean up the branches for his neighbor.

- Why do you think the title is "Be Wary of Advice?" *** Because the author has a suspicious personality.

- Do advices often result in a negative outcome or a positive one? *** Advices are advices. The result remains solely responsible on the person who makes the decision to carry out that advice. Bad judgement cannot blame the advice, much less blaming the advisor.

- Can you recall a moment when an advice was given to you out of bad intentions? *** Nope. I believe that I have a mind of my own, and I'm such a good person that none has tried to do me harm!