Are you drowning in a sea of advice? Having trouble resisting those enticing Twitter posts that promise you immediate gratification in the pursuit of knowledge?
I feel your pain. And I have some advice:
Beware of any point of view that’s simply too definitive to allow for a contrarian view. Sorry, the world simply isn’t black and white. There are a million shades of gray. For example, anyone telling you that something (print advertising, TV commercials, Donald Trump’s presidential campaign) is dead simply wants a little shock value. Nothing inherently wrong with going for a little shock value once in a while, but if it’s a constant pattern we get desensitized to all the shocking. And watch out for anyone who admits, “Yeah, I was just trying to be provocative with this post.” I don’t know about you, but I tire pretty quickly of people who shout “Fire” in a crowded Internet. More significantly, I stop paying attention to them.
It’s the subject of my latest column on Talent Zoo.
Nice article, Dan.
I have a some advice for those who insist on giving advice. Try to do so without being too didactic. The web isn’t a lecture hall. And you’re not a professor (unless you are).
And oddly enough, the professors lecturing on matters have rarely even produced anything in the arena they’re lecturing about. Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach—and those who have never done, lecture.
Nice write-up and couldn’t agree more. There are shades of gray in every situation and not every approach that was perfect for someone else will be perfect for you. Advice is good to drink in moderation, but should not be chugged.