The Burden of Free Advice

Metaphorical Narrative

Imagine walking through a crowded street and someone thrusts a heavy backpack into your arms.
They say, “Here, carry this. It’s good for you.”
You didn’t ask. You don’t need it. But suddenly you’re staggering under the weight of someone else’s urgency.

That’s what unsolicited advice feels like — borrowed baggage disguised as a gift.

Core Insight

Much of the “free advice” people push isn’t about helping you; it’s about stabilizing them. Ego loves the role of teacher, guide, or elder — because it makes the ego feel important, necessary, even superior. The louder the advice, the more fragile the ego underneath.

If you carry every backpack tossed your way, you’ll soon collapse under the weight of narratives that were never yours to begin with. Recognizing this doesn’t mean rejecting all input — it means filtering with sovereignty. Wisdom is an offer, not a demand.

When people expect you to listen because they need to be heard, it’s not your job to obey. It’s your job to decide: does this add to your journey, or is it another ego in disguise demanding space in your head?

Saturday Experiment

Today, notice whenever someone offers advice you didn’t ask for. Before reacting, pause.

1. Ask yourself: Is this for me, or for their ego?
2. If it’s theirs, visualize handing the backpack back. You don’t have to carry it.
3. If there’s a single useful stone in it, take that — and leave the rest.

Sunday Reflection

• How often did I feel pressured to carry advice that wasn’t mine?
• What happened when I gave myself permission to return the backpack?
• How would life feel if I only carried what I chose, instead of what others demanded?