Page 56 - Forbes Magazine-September 30, 2018

THOUGHTS ON
Advice

“GIVE A MAN “I am glad I
A FISH, AND paid so little
YOU’LL FEED attention to
HIM FOR A DAY. good advice.
TEACH A MAN Had I abided
TO FISH, AND by it I might
HE’LL BUY A “COUNSEL have been
FUNNY HAT. INVOLVING RIGHT saved from
TALK TO A AND WRONG some of my
HUNGRY MAN SHOULD NEVER most valuable
ABOUT FISH, BE SOUGHT FROM
AND YOU’RE A mistakes.”
CONSULTANT.” A MAN WHO — EDNA
DOES NOT SAY ST. VINCENT
—SCOTT ADAMS MILLAY
HIS PRAYERS.”
“I GIVE MYSELF —FULTON J. SHEEN
SOMETIMES ADMIRABLE
ADVICE, BUT I AM “They tell me not to drink, and I do drink.
INCAPABLE OF TAKING IT.” They tell me not to eat, and I do eat.”
—MARY WORTLEY MONTAGU —WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY

“People are very “I ALWAYS ADVISE
fond of giving PEOPLE NEVER TO
away that which
they need most GIVE ADVICE.”
themselves. It is —P.G. WODEHOUSE
what I call the
“To ask advice is in nine cases “All your life people will
depth of generosity.” out of ten to tout for flattery.” tell you things. And most
of the time, probably 95%
—OSCAR WILDE —JOHN CHURTON COLLINS
of the time, what they’ll
“NO ONE WANTS ADVICE—ONLY CORROBORATION.” tell you will be wrong.”
—MICHAEL CRICHTON
—JOHN STEINBECK
“The best advice I ever
received was ‘No one CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/AP; BACHRACH/GETTY IMAGES; ALFRED EISENSTAEDT/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES; GLENN WEINER/ZUMAPRESS/NEWSCOM; HISTORIC COLLECTION/ALAMY; ROGER VIOLLET COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES; ULF ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES; ERIC LIEBOWITZ/GETTY IMAGES; HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGE; LISZT COLLECTION/NEWSCOM
else knows what they’re
doing either.’ ”
—RICKY GERVAIS

“Advice is “WHO CANNOT GIVE
what we ask GOOD COUNSEL?
for when we ’TIS CHEAP, IT COSTS FINAL
already know THEM NOTHING.” THOUGHT
the answer but “Listening to advice
—ROBERT BURTON
wish we didn’t.” often accomplishes
—ERICA JONG “LISTEN TO ADVICE AND ACCEPT DISCIPLINE, AND AT far more than
THE END YOU WILL BE COUNTED AMONG THE WISE.” heeding it.”
—PROVERBS 19:20 —MALCOLM FORBES

SOURCES: ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY, BY ROBERT BURTON; LIFE OF JOHN CHURTON COLLINS, BY JOHN CHURTON COLLINS;
HOW TO SAVE YOUR OWN LIFE, BY ERICA JONG; THE TIMES BOOK OF QUOTATIONS; THE LETTERS AND PRIVATE PAPERS OF
WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY; THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, BY OSCAR WILDE; THE LOST WORLD, BY MICHAEL CRICHTON.
112 | FORBES SEPTEMBER 30, 2018