You should always consider the source when you take advice from someone. Many times (especially within the lady population) we will vent to our girlfriends about our lives and try to make ourselves feel better about a situation - after all, it is healthy to vent rather than holding in emotions. I don't believe the story ever ends well for a person that doesn't ever express their emotions. BUT, the problem is when we vent to certain people, we often end up with advice that puts us in a really unhealthy frame of mind. And why is that? It's because emotions are there and it does not allow advice to be given from an OBJECTIVE and clean slate.
Take Kim and Nancy for example. Kim is going through problems with her boyfriend. Nancy is unhappily single and really upset that she never gets to hang out with Kim because Kim is usually with her man. Nancy's bitterness (that she will never admit to having) will cause her to give Kim the advice from hell and basically tell her f*ck her boyfriend for doing anything besides being perfect. Now, if Nancy was being a good friend, she would try her hardest to remove her own personal feelings out of the equation to say what is best for her friend but unfortunately, there are TONS of people out there who would look out for their own interests. Or, they are ignorant of what the "right thing to do" really is because they can't even get their own personal lives together.
Which reminds me, if you are getting advice from a person whose love life is more screwed up than you, you might want to rethink your judgment and put down that 4th bottle of Corona.
Misery definitely loves company and even though it may not be Nancy's intention to make Kim unhappy, she will definitely serve her own agenda if it means she can count on Kim to be more available for "girlfriend" time she wasn't getting before.
It doesn't matter if this person knows you more than anyone or if they are family...or "family". Sometimes these are the very people who don't want you to "do better" because they have a void within themselves. I'm not saying that you should say eff their face and write them off, but you should definitely find a "Plan B" when you're in a venting mood.
You have to remember that when you kiss and make up with your better half, the audience you had for your venting party will still have the vaseline and boxing gloves with Michael Buffer on speed dial to announce the fighting match with his signature million dollar voice.
Bitter friends are still your friends, but they are NEVER the ones to get advice from. NEVER EVER. Unless you want to proudly earn your Bitter Birdie membership trophy.
Harsh I know, but true.
