Handing out advice is easy, and you probably do it all day long without even thinking about it. You may offer co-workers helpful tips throughout the day; you may help a family member navigate a tough problem; you help your friends work through their choices. You probably give yourself advice throughout the day as well, in the form of your inner voice. But odds are, you take very little of that advice. If you have trouble following your inner voice, know you aren’t alone. Most people have a much easier time doling out wisdom and advice than they do following that advice for themselves. King Solomon, lauded for his unmatched intelligence and sage wisdom, failed to apply that wisdom to himself. If you are familiar with the story, this lack of self-awareness led to the downfall of his kingdom. In fact, psychologies use the term “Solomon’s Paradox” to define this all-too-common human tendency to ignore our intuition. By researching this paradox, scientists have concluded that we make better decisions and see solutions more clearly the more we distance ourselves from a problem. In other words, when it comes to your problems, it can be tough to "see the forest for the trees." Solomon’s Paradox confirms that most of us get in our own way when it comes to solving personal problems, changing habits or making decisions – but it doesn’t really explain why we do it. If we advise someone who is experiencing a situation under the exact same circumstances as we do ourselves, we should be able to listen to our inner voice and take our own advice, right? Wrong. Many things stand in our way, even when we can see a clear path before us. We know we should just ask for the raise, apply for the job, or put more money into our 401(k). Yet we don’t. And there are a number of reasons why: Our inner voice can be a source of sound advice. But our emotions can be a much louder source of interference. Tuning into your inner voice and following your own advice isn’t easy. But you can get better at hearing yourself by: Remember that you are your own best advocate. Your inner voice would not lead you down a dark path. So, listen to yourself and don’t be afraid to take your own excellent advice. Even King Solomon Didn’t Follow His Own Advice
Why We Get In Our Own Way
How To Listen to Your Own Advice