Episode 57: Advice To Avoid, The Dark Side of Therapy, and Taking Your Own Medicine

About the Episode

You ever notice how some people can’t stand being told what to do—even when the advice is good? Yeah, that’s me. In this episode, Drew and I dig into why so many of us rebel against advice, why others chase it like their life depends on it, and whether all that “actionable advice” we’re constantly fed is actually helping anyone. Spoiler: I’m not a fan of cookie-cutter solutions, and I’ve got some opinions about the self-help industry’s obsession with telling people exactly what to do.

We also get into the bigger picture—how advice often misses the mark when it’s not tailored to someone’s unique situation, and how therapy culture might be trying to replace something deeper that’s missing in our lives. I’ll share why I don’t give rigid life hacks, the trouble with universal solutions, and the surprising reason why most breakthroughs aren’t about the advice at all. If you’re tired of “do this, don’t do that” advice, this one’s for you.

Enjoy.

Mark Manson Quotes From the Episode

If you are a contrarian and correct, that’s when the huge payoffs come. But if you’re a contrarian and incorrect, you just look like an asshole.”

The same concepts that make therapy so effective in private are the ones that make it toxic in public.

Psychological wellbeing and personal growth are generally about boring things done consistently—it’s not an exciting marketing headline.