One thing I have learned I don’t do enough is to just ask them. Learn about working out by asking muscly acquaintances. Learn about job applications by asking someone who works in the field you want to work in. Et c. Find a place that’s suitable for talking and ask them to talk to you. People are happy to tell you all sorts of stuff they think you should know, and it’s a way larger number of bits per minute than trying to infer what their lives are like from afar, or neutrally observing them like they’re the subject of a nature documentary.
And then a key step 2 for getting advice on anything you have preconceptions about, actually consider that they can be right and you can be wrong. This isn’t about following orders, this is asking various people for their advice in order to gain information, and then not throwing that information in the dumpster by only listening to people you already agree with.
Naturally this is largely advice to my past self, whose biases you (Dear reader) might not share.
One thing I have learned I don’t do enough is to just ask them. Learn about working out by asking muscly acquaintances. Learn about job applications by asking someone who works in the field you want to work in. Et c. Find a place that’s suitable for talking and ask them to talk to you. People are happy to tell you all sorts of stuff they think you should know, and it’s a way larger number of bits per minute than trying to infer what their lives are like from afar, or neutrally observing them like they’re the subject of a nature documentary.
And then a key step 2 for getting advice on anything you have preconceptions about, actually consider that they can be right and you can be wrong. This isn’t about following orders, this is asking various people for their advice in order to gain information, and then not throwing that information in the dumpster by only listening to people you already agree with.
Naturally this is largely advice to my past self, whose biases you (Dear reader) might not share.