One piece of advice to question is “never give up”—if it is taken as an absolute rule. Persistence can make sense when a goal still matters and the approach is working, but refusing to reassess can keep you committed to a plan that no longer fits. This is a practical judgment, not a claim that “never give up” is the single worst advice for everyone.
One piece of advice to question: “Never give up”
There is a useful difference between staying committed to a worthwhile goal and insisting on one particular way of reaching it. If circumstances change, the costs rise, or the current approach is not working, it may be more useful to pause, adjust the plan, or choose a different direction than to follow a slogan literally.
Before deciding whether to keep going, consider:
- Does this goal still matter to me?
- Is my current approach helping, or could I try something different?
- What are the costs of continuing, and what alternatives are available?
- Can I change the method without abandoning the underlying goal?
Changing course is not automatically the same as failing. It can be a deliberate response to new information or priorities. For practical ideas on sustaining effort while respecting your limits, see our guide to ways to stay motivated without burning out.
Common advice sayings—and why context matters
A “piece of advice” is simply a suggestion or guidance offered to someone. Short sayings can be memorable, but their wording may leave out circumstances that matter.
- “Say yes to everything.” It might encourage openness to opportunities, but taken literally, it can leave too little room to consider your priorities or existing commitments.
- “Forgive and forget.” Forgiveness and forgetting are not necessarily the same thing. Someone may choose to forgive while still remembering what happened and setting boundaries. For more on how people think about relationship deal breakers and boundaries, see our related guide.
These examples are not universally bad instructions. They show why it helps to ask what a saying means in your specific situation instead of treating it as a rule.
How to judge advice before you follow it
Consider who gave the advice, whether they have relevant experience, how well it fits your circumstances and goals, and what reasoning or evidence supports it. Also consider whether the adviser may have a bias or a personal stake in what you decide.
University library guidance offers criteria for assessing information sources, including an author’s credibility, accuracy, purpose, and relevance. The Long Island University source-evaluation guide and the University of Denver Libraries’ CUT test for evaluating sources can help structure those questions. These guides concern evaluating sources of information; they do not establish which personal advice will produce a good outcome.
For health information specifically, check whether the source is reliable and discuss what you find with a health care provider before relying on it. MedlinePlus guidance on evaluating health information recommends asking questions about information and discussing it with a provider, who can help assess whether it is appropriate for you.
A few practical alternatives to absolute advice
There is no single best advice for everyone, but these low-risk suggestions may be useful starting points—not proven formulas or guarantees:
- Pause before making a high-pressure decision, if you have time to do so.
- Ask yourself what information would change your mind.
- Revisit a plan when your circumstances, priorities, or available options change.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever ignored?
There is no universal answer. To reflect on advice you chose not to follow, consider what the advice was, why you ignored it, and what the outcome taught you. The point is not to assume that ignoring it was right or wrong, but to understand how it fit—or did not fit—your situation.