--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a general rule...people ask for advice…" description: "\"As a general rule...people ask for advice only in order not to follow it; or if they do follow it, in order to have someone to blame for giving it.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/alexandre-dumas-436_advice_as-a-general-rule-people-ask-for-advice_268006.jpg" --- # As a general rule...people ask for advice only in order… ![“As a general rule...people ask for advice only in order not to follow it; or if they do follow it, in order to have someone to blame for giving it.” quote by Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/alexandre-dumas-436_advice_as-a-general-rule-people-ask-for-advice_268006.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/alexandre-dumas-436_advice_as-a-general-rule-people-ask-for-advice_268006.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/alexandre-dumas-436_advice_as-a-general-rule-people-ask-for-advice_268006.jpg) > “As a general rule...people ask for advice only in order not to follow it; or if they do follow it, in order to have someone to blame for giving it.” [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often seek advice merely to have an excuse for not following it, or to assign blame if they do. **In simple terms:** Advice can be a scapegoat for in action Key Takeaway Question advice, own responsibility Themes responsibility advice blame Mood skeptical reflective Type observational critical When to use this quote - personal decisions - leadership - conflict resolution - team management Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate genuine guidance from an excuse? - When does blaming advice hinder growth? A Different Perspective Advice may not substitute for personal accountability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) ## Related quotes > [It's always fun when people ask you for advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/it-s-always-fun-when-people-ask-you-for-advice/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [Old men like to give good advice in order to console themselves for not being any longer able to set bad examples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/old-men-like-to-give-good-advice-in-order-to-console-themselves-for/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Do not trust the people who ask for advice and end up doing just the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/do-not-trust-the-people-who-ask-for-advice-and-end-up-doing-just-the/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“People who ask our advice almost never take it. 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Why ask me in the first place?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-ask-me-for-my-advice-then-do-the-complete-opposite-why-ask-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The best way to flatter people is to ask them for an advice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/the-best-way-to-flatter-people-is-to-ask-them-for-an-advice/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [You can't blame someone for hurting you.. Blame yourself for giving them a chance to hurt you n expecting from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/you-can-t-blame-someone-for-hurting-you-blame-yourself-for-giving/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“Do not blame your parents for not working hard enough to birth you with silver spoon in your mouth because tomorrow you will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agu-jaachynma-n-e-2/do-not-blame-your-parents-for-not-working-hard-enough-to-birth-you/) Agu, Jaachynma N.E > [Don't blame them for using you, blame YOURSELF for giving them something to use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/don-t-blame-them-for-using-you-blame-yourself-for-giving-them/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [“When I talk about responsibility, I am really talking about having power. Blame is about giving away one’s power. Responsibility gives us the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-l-hay/when-i-talk-about-responsibility-i-am-really-talking-about-having/) [Louise L. Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-l-hay/) > [“Most times when folks ask for advice, they already know what they should do. They just want to hear it from someone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls-author/most-times-when-folks-ask-for-advice-they-already-know-what-they/) [Jeannette Walls (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls-author/) > [“In general, people only ask for advice that they may not follow it; or, if they should follow it, that they may have somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/in-general-people-only-ask-for-advice-that-they-may-not-follow-it-or/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [As a general rule, nobody has money who ought to have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/as-a-general-rule-nobody-has-money-who-ought-to-have-it/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [As a general rule, if you want to get at the truth - hear both sides and believe neither.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/as-a-general-rule-if-you-want-to-get-at-the-truth-hear-both-sides-and/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) ## More by Alexandre Dumas > [“What is the sense in recriminations about things over which the will of God itself is powerless? God can change the future, He cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/what-is-the-sense-in-recriminations-about-things-over-which-the-will/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [There is no friendship that cares about an overheard secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/there-is-no-friendship-that-cares-about-an-overheard-secret/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [Darling, replied Valentine, has not the count just told us that all human wisdom was contained in these two words,- "Wait and hope"?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/darling-replied-valentine-has-not-the-count-just-told-us-that-all/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“when you have the honour to find yourself in the company of ordinary men and the good fortune to be out of politics for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/when-you-have-the-honour-to-find-yourself-in-the-company-of-ordinary/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“He rose in his turn, and seizing handfuls of confetti and sweetmeats, with which the carriage was filled, cast them with all the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/he-rose-in-his-turn-and-seizing-handfuls-of-confetti-and-sweetmeats/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“A man is always in a hurry to be happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/a-man-is-always-in-a-hurry-to-be-happy/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“Speak on, madame, speak on, Queen," said Buckingham; "the sweetness of your voice covers the harshness of your words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/speak-on-madame-speak-on-queen-said-buckingham-the-sweetness-of-your/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“On the 24th of February, 1810, the look-out at Notre-Dame de la Garde signalled the three-master, the Pharaon from Smyrna, Trieste, and Naples.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/on-the-24th-of-february-1810-the-look-out-at-notre-dame-de-la-garde/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“what despair to see a woman one loves longing for those thousand nothings from which women compose their happiness, and to be unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/what-despair-to-see-a-woman-one-loves-longing-for-those-thousand/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“Here is a man who was resigned to his fate, who was walking to the scaffold and about to die like a coward, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/here-is-a-man-who-was-resigned-to-his-fate-who-was-walking-to-the/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [I am not proud, but I am happy; and happiness blinds, I think, more than pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/i-am-not-proud-but-i-am-happy-and-happiness-blinds-i-think-more-than/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [For there are two distinct sorts of ideas: Those that proceed from the head and those that emanate from the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/for-there-are-two-distinct-sorts-of-ideas-those-that-proceed-from-the/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“Besides, what is required of a young man in Paris? To speak its language tolerably, to make a good appearance, to be a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/besides-what-is-required-of-a-young-man-in-paris-to-speak-its/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“Carry your sorrow inside you as the cloud conceals ruin and death like a deadly secret that is understood only when the storm breaks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/carry-your-sorrow-inside-you-as-the-cloud-conceals-ruin-and-death/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“What fragile and unknown threads the destinies of nations and the lives of men are suspended.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/what-fragile-and-unknown-threads-the-destinies-of-nations-and-the/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) [Explore all 473 Alexandre Dumas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) ## More Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) Mak\_786 > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A low-minded person should not be given good advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-low-minded-person-should-not-be-given-good-advice/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/if-your-clothes-are-enough-to-drive-would-be-friends-away-they-re-not/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. 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He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-coman/my-relationship-with-ibrahimovic-was-completely-neutral-he-is-not-the/) [Kingsley Coman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-coman/) [Browse all 8,535 Advice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a general rule...people ask for advice only in order not to follow it; or if they do follow it, in order to have someone to blame for giving it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexandre Dumas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/as-a-general-rule-people-ask-for-advice-only-in-order-not-to-follow/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/as-a-general-rule-people-ask-for-advice-only-in-order-not-to-follow/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/alexandre-dumas-436_advice_as-a-general-rule-people-ask-for-advice_268006.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/alexandre-dumas-436_advice_as-a-general-rule-people-ask-for-advice_268006.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/alexandre-dumas-436_advice_as-a-general-rule-people-ask-for-advice_268006.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a general rule...people ask for advice only in order not to follow it; or if they do follow it, in order…” — Alexandre Dumas", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexandre Dumas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a general rule...people ask for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/as-a-general-rule-people-ask-for-advice-only-in-order-not-to-follow/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/as-a-general-rule-people-ask-for-advice-only-in-order-not-to-follow/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```