Why it's fun to give unsolicited advice

Making crucial decisions in your own life can be tough and ulcer-inducing, but it’s pure, stressless fun to dispense random, off-the-top-of-your-head advice to someone else who's suffering a crisis. People who bring their difficulties to us usually just want some reassurance or someone to vent to, but sitting there and being reassuring doesn’t make for much entertainment value. I’ve found it’s much more exciting to not so much listen as the poor soul dumps his or her problems on you, but to spend that valuable time thinking about what you’re going to say in response. Once the advice-ee finally shuts the hell up, you tell them what they should do to erase that stupid, inconsequential adversity from their insignificant lives.

You'll probably be ignored, which is fine, but if they take the advice and it works, you can take credit for solving their problems, and smile in the knowledge that you're better at living their lives than they are. In the much more likely instance that the advice makes them end up homeless, dead or in jail, you can just put the whole thing behind you as a lesson learned at someone else's expense. In any case, you're feeling better than before you gave the advice. And remember, it’s all about you.