Giving Good Advice Without Being a Condescending Asshole

I n the internet age, everyone and their dog is an expert on something. The beauty and the curse of the internet is that everyone has an opinion and is going to share it. And not only are we all going to share it, but we’re more convinced than ever of how right we are.

So I’ve come up with six basic principles to follow when giving advice. You know, because I’m so convinced of how fucking right I always am.

I think these principles are widely applicable, whether you’re helping your nephew deal with bullies at school, or critiquing some guy’s Starcraft theory on a nerd forum, or giving life advice to your brother. If you genuinely want to help someone, I recommend following these six principles when giving advice.

1. Make Sure the Person Actually Wants Advice

No type of advice is worse than unsolicited advice. No one is more likely to be ignored than a nosy know-it-all. Make sure the person you’re trying to help is actually looking for help, lest you come across as a condescending asshole.

Bad Advice Example: In response to someone excited about getting accepted to graduate school.

Hey, that’s cool you got accepted, but honestly graduate school is a waste of money. The debt you incur is hardly…