Member-only story
8 Cliche Pieces of Advice That Are Worth Retiring Once and for All
Overused advice that rubs us the wrong way
We have all been in situations where someone has sat us down and offered well-meaning advice. It might be well-meaning, but well-meaning does not mean helpful. It crosses into unbearable territory when it’s an annoying, unhelpful piece of advice that has no bearing on your situation.
Sometimes the impact is greater than the intent, and no matter how true someone’s intentions are, meaningful advice doesn’t contribute anything positive to the situation. If we’re being honest with each other, we all have our opinions on cliché pieces of advice that should be retired, never to return.
What’s for you won’t go by you
This advice originated in Scotland and quite simply, it means that if it’s meant to be, then it will be. That might be factually correct, but when you’re upset that you missed out on a promotion or you’re frustrated after having another home offer refused, someone offering you this advice isn’t going to help. In fact, it’s probably going to infuriate you.
Everything happens for a reason
That sure helps me feel better about falling down a flight of stairs and breaking my back. While people mean well when they say this, it feels like a dismissal of what you’re dealing with. Your feelings are valid. You’re allowed to grieve, you’re allowed to be frustrated, you’re allowed to be angry, sad, or upset.
Hearing the words everything happens for a reason makes it feel as though those feelings aren’t valid. It forces you to question whether you’re right for experiencing the emotions that come naturally. Of course, you shouldn’t hold onto negative emotions for too long, but you have to experience them to work through them.
When it comes to loss and grief, this advice is downright offensive. Humans naturally seek solutions, but not all tragedy has an explanation.
Stop looking, you will find someone when you least expect it
Everyone who’s been single for any length of time has heard this one. It could be true, but it isn’t always. The…
