Self-Knowledge Question #35: Behavioral Advice and What to Do With It

[ng_moonmoth]

Initial post on what I'm doing here.

35. Do you rely on others to tell you what to do or how to act? If so, how can you remove this expectation and act based on your own beliefs?

Seems like there are a lot of people in the world who enjoy sharing their opinions of what to do or how to act. There are often some nuggets of truth in what they say. But there's often also a strong flavor of "Do this or act like this so you won't cause me problems I'd rather not deal with." Sorting out the truth from the trash is something that requires a lot of effort for me, and I tend to push back on suggestions that I alter my behavior in ways I feel don't align with my identity. I've had enough of that already, thanks.

Comments

[curiosity]

This is an interesting question because it has a lot of potential layers to it. Of course the hope is that by the time one has survived to adulthood, one should have a reasonably oriented moral and social compass. A basic working knowledge of society as a whole and one's own self and goals in particular, as it were.

But that implies being raised properly; y'know, with love and care and socialization and interaction and all that. If someone's been raised by rabid wildebeests, that's problematic and maybe having someone trusted help with the whole compass-orienting thing isn't a bad idea so long as boundaries are maintained.

And the whole thing is a process of evolution no matter how it's sliced. We're constantly learning and growing and experiencing new situations that shape and re-shape our worldview and self-view. It's okay to rely on others for help from time to time and sometimes acting on our own beliefs would lead to a lot of overtime for local HAZMAT teams.