The other day, I was partaking of the collective wisdom of Instagram and came across the classic, "somewhere the narcissist in your life is reading an Instagram post that assures them that they are not the problem." So good. So true. Insta/LinkedIn/whatever are brimming with tips and suggestions, and we have to be wise consumers of that self-help content.
Take my posts, for example. Of course, I try to share themes and ideas that will be generally helpful and avoid harm. But at the end of the day, I'm really just sharing what resonates with me and what I see working for my counseling and coaching clients. It's "generally applicable help."
But what if we don't know whether the advice we're considering is a pearl of wisdom, pop-psych junk food, or simply doesn't apply to us and our needs? That's a great time to tap into your community. Ask a trusted friend or family member whether this advice seems helpful for you. Collect data from trusted sources and your internal compass, and make an informed choice based on the data at hand. But - here's the trick - treat the application of the advice as an experiment. Try it out and observe the results. Do you see positive or helpful results in you and around you? If so, maybe try it some more and collect more data. If not, then maybe it's not such an applicable idea for you right here and right now.
All the advice we see and hear belongs in one of two camps:
- It's generally appropriate advice that applies, more or less, to most people (but maybe not to unique you in your unique situation!)
- It's specific advice for folks in a specific situation (which won't apply to you unless you're the target audience)
Be a smart consumer and run open-minded experiments; there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution.
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