Advice by Example
I’ve decided to try something new every Monday to start the week off with a smile: a quote regarding advice. For the inaugural advice quote, I’ll turn to Francis Bacon:
“He that gives good advice builds with one hand; he that gives good counsel and example builds with both.”
Francis Bacon is one of the most popular English philosophers of all time. He is famously known for his saying, “knowledge is power.” While Bacon was always an intriguing personality due to his sexual orientation, the possibility of him writing some works attributed to Shakespeare, and the fact that he was knighted. He was also attributed as being the father of the English essay.
His legacy will live on forever not only for those reasons, but also because of the way he established and popularized the scientific method - an inductive methodology for scientific inquiry (also called the Baconian method). Bacon demanded a planned procedure of investigation which went beyond the previous conceptions and has helped lead to the theoretical framework and methodology that is used today.
So, with all that said, we know that we can learn a lot from the guy.
This quote in particular gives some valuable insight. Advice is a great thing, but it is only a small part towards earning respect and authority as an expert. You must add your actions to your advice. Without living your advice it becomes meaningless. If what you say is important, then surely you’ll find it useful enough to apply it in your own life.
With this in mind, always write advice from the heart. Don’t just type away for the sake of putting words on your website. Don’t just share your words with others, share your life.
Don’t forget our Advice Contest! You can win great prizes by simply signing up and participating. Well worth your while, seriously!
