[saheb37]

I liked how Hunter S. Thompson put it in words when he was asked for advice.

You ask advice: ah, what a very human and very dangerous thing to do! For to give advice to a man who asks what to do with his life implies something very close to egomania. To presume to point a man to the right and ultimate goal— to point with a trembling finger in the RIGHT direction is something only a fool would take upon himself.

I am not a fool, but I respect your sincerity in asking my advice. I ask you though, in listening to what I say, to remember that all advice can only be a product of the man who gives it. What is truth to one may be disaster to another. I do not see life through your eyes, nor you through mine. If I were to attempt to give you specific advice, it would be too much like the blind leading the blind.

https://fs.blog/2014/05/hunter-s-thompson-to-hume-logan/

[lmilcin]

I give a version of this every time I give advice. I remind people that it is just that: an advice. "Please, remember the decision is still your responsibility and I don't mind you doing anything you see fit with my advice including completely ignoring it"

Being advisor is dangerous because you can become entangled in the matter you have no power to decide on. I make sure that people understand managing the issue and advising on it are two completely separate roles. It usually is a chat in the form: If you want, cede the power to make decisions and only then I can try my best to resolve it and be responsible for results.

When it comes to somebody's life, it is not possible to cede the responsibility and so by very definition it is just not possible for me to take any responsibility for the advice I give and it is still up to the person to decide whether they can trust the advice and how to use it.