An old friend called me yesterday to talk about his relationship woes with an ex-girlfriend. I listened attentively and sympathetically for a while. Then I made a stupid mistake. I told him what I do when confronted with similar feelings. I told him what I thought based on his struggles over the past few years with this relationship. Then I gave him my advice for how to move forward.
I’m such an idiot.
After I got off the phone I thought, “He never takes my advice. He wasn’t calling to ask for my advice. He wanted to ruminate and commiserate.” Even when he directly solicits my advice, he doesn’t really want it. He already knows what I going to say because I’ve said it many times before.
The next time we have another call like this, I will keep my mouth shut. If he asks for my advice, I’ll hold the phone next to my face while I bang my head against the nearest wall. It will be more productive for both of us.