--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do not respond to people being upset by…" description: "\"“Do not respond to people being upset by confidently giving them advice on how to solve their problems”\" — Ezra Klein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/ezra-klein-19354_advice_do-not-respond-to-people-being-upset-by_2038820.png" --- # Do not respond to people being upset by confidently giving… ![“Do not respond to people being upset by confidently giving them advice on how to solve their problems” quote by Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/ezra-klein-19354_advice_do-not-respond-to-people-being-upset-by_2038820.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/ezra-klein-19354_advice_do-not-respond-to-people-being-upset-by_2038820.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/ezra-klein-19354_advice_do-not-respond-to-people-being-upset-by_2038820.png) > ““Do not respond to people being upset by confidently giving them advice on how to solve their problems”” [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advice given with confidence to upset people often ignores their emotional state and can backfire. **In simple terms:** Giving advice to upset people can be ineffective. Key Takeaway Listen before advising. Themes empathy communication emotional intelligence Mood thoughtful considerate Type advice counseling When to use this quote - personal relationships - customer service - mental health counseling Key Concepts psychology conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How can you validate feelings before offering solutions? - What signs show someone is ready for advice? A Different Perspective Advice without empathy may worsen distress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Giving advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-advice/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) ## Related quotes > [I don't believe in giving advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mani-ratnam/i-don-t-believe-in-giving-advice/) [Mani Ratnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mani-ratnam/) > [Listening to learn isn't about giving advice--at least not until asked--but about trying to understand exactly what someone means,how it is that someone looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-debold/listening-to-learn-isn-t-about-giving-advice-at-least-not-until-asked/) [Elizabeth Debold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-debold/) > [T's funny how I'm good at giving advice to others, but when it comes to helping myself, I don't know what to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/t-s-funny-how-i-m-good-at-giving-advice-to-others-but-when-it-comes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Player: Relax. Respond. That's what people do. You can't go through life question your sitution at every turn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/player-relax-respond-that-s-what-people-do-you-can-t-go-through-life-2/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Being polite is not only the right way to respond to people but also the easiest. Life is so filled with unavoidable conflict that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/being-polite-is-not-only-the-right-way-to-respond-to-people-but-also/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [There's this belief sometimes from people who haven't lived the trans experience that's just like, 'You should tell everyone. You owe it to them.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-michael-smith/there-s-this-belief-sometimes-from-people-who-haven-t-lived-the-trans/) [Brian Michael Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-michael-smith/) > [Do not worry about why problems exist in the world - just respond to people's needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/do-not-worry-about-why-problems-exist-in-the-world-just-respond-to/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [We have a government that, generally speaking, does not respond to the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/we-have-a-government-that-generally-speaking-does-not-respond-to-the/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [The only thing that dictates whether I respond to someone is whether I have something interesting to say in return. I respond to people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-lockwood/the-only-thing-that-dictates-whether-i-respond-to-someone-is-whether/) [Patricia Lockwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-lockwood/) > [The government is supposed to respond to the will of the people. Not dictate to the people what they are doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/the-government-is-supposed-to-respond-to-the-will-of-the-people-not/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [“Player: Relax. Respond. That's what people do. You can't go through life questioning your situation at every turn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/player-relax-respond-that-s-what-people-do-you-can-t-go-through-life/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [If you create something that is asking for people to respond as they're going to respond, you have to allow them to respond as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/if-you-create-something-that-is-asking-for-people-to-respond-as-they/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [“I don’t quite know how to respond to people who say that I dance like my genitals are on fire. I usually just blush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-don-t-quite-know-how-to-respond-to-people-who-say-that-i-dance-like/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I didn't respond to people thrusting microphones at me and asking me questions that were unanswerable in a sound bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-didn-t-respond-to-people-thrusting-microphones-at-me-and-asking-me/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [Don't we have to respond to people who don't seem normal to us? Will my child grow up able to accept that not everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-burson/don-t-we-have-to-respond-to-people-who-don-t-seem-normal-to-us-will/) Nancy Burson ## More by Ezra Klein > [This is a very proud moment for journalism. I think The New York Times and The Washington Post are genuine champions in this moment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/this-is-a-very-proud-moment-for-journalism-i-think-the-new-york-times/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [“Just as youth is wasted on the young, money is wasted on the rich.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/just-as-youth-is-wasted-on-the-young-money-is-wasted-on-the-rich/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [The news is challenging right now. One hard thing about it is that often things don't lend themselves to good explanations or we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/the-news-is-challenging-right-now-one-hard-thing-about-it-is-that/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [Every newspaper in the country covers stories that other newspapers cover. Every industry is filled with people who are competing to do the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/every-newspaper-in-the-country-covers-stories-that-other-newspapers/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [If I'm sitting around exulting over traffic data, I'm an idiot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/if-i-m-sitting-around-exulting-over-traffic-data-i-m-an-idiot/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [A government shutdown, it isn't the end of the world. It's a bad thing. The government stops working for a few days. 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It's always been the job. This is just more intense. You find out what the story is, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/maintaining-news-cycle-is-the-job-it-s-always-been-the-job-this-is/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [I do think that there is a very unclear level of conduct in the Trump administration. 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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": "“Do not respond to people being upset by confidently giving them advice on how to solve their problems”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ezra Klein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/do-not-respond-to-people-being-upset-by-confidently-giving-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/do-not-respond-to-people-being-upset-by-confidently-giving-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/ezra-klein-19354_advice_do-not-respond-to-people-being-upset-by_2038820.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/ezra-klein-19354_advice_do-not-respond-to-people-being-upset-by_2038820.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/793/ezra-klein-19354_advice_do-not-respond-to-people-being-upset-by_2038820.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Do not respond to people being upset by confidently giving them advice on how to solve their problems” — Ezra Klein", "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": "Ezra Klein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Do not respond to people being...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/do-not-respond-to-people-being-upset-by-confidently-giving-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/do-not-respond-to-people-being-upset-by-confidently-giving-them/#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 } } ] } ```