--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To give advice to a man who asks what to…" description: "\"To give advice to a man who asks what to do with his life implies something very close to egomania. To presume to point a man to the right and ultimate..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/hunter-s-thompson-278_advice_to-give-advice-to-a-man-who-asks-what-to_784839.jpg" --- # To give advice to a man who asks what to do with his life… ![“To give advice to a man who asks what to do with his life implies something very close to egomania. To presume to point a man to the right and ultimate goal - to point with a trembling finger in the RIGHT direction is something only a fool would take upon himself.” quote by Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/hunter-s-thompson-278_advice_to-give-advice-to-a-man-who-asks-what-to_784839.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/hunter-s-thompson-278_advice_to-give-advice-to-a-man-who-asks-what-to_784839.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/hunter-s-thompson-278_advice_to-give-advice-to-a-man-who-asks-what-to_784839.jpg) > “To give advice to a man who asks what to do with his life implies something very close to egomania. To presume to point a man to the right and ultimate goal - to point with a trembling finger in the RIGHT direction is something only a fool would take upon himself.” [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Offering life advice often stems from ego; claiming certainty can be foolish. **In simple terms:** Giving advice can be arrogant and risky. Key Takeaway Offer guidance modestly, respect autonomy. Themes ego advice humility Mood cynical thoughtful Type essay philosophical When to use this quote - career counseling - friendship - self‑help literature Key Concepts existential choice personal agency Questions to Reflect On - When is it appropriate to give advice? - How can we ensure advice respects another’s freedom? A Different Perspective Advice may be helpful when grounded in experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Advice Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice-man-628172/) [Egomania](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egomania/) [Egomania Presume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egomania-presume-6040004/) [Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fingers/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Implies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-implies-543356/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Right direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-direction/) [Trembling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trembling/) [Ultimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate/) [Ultimate goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate-goal/) ## Related quotes > [“the notion of life implies a certain absoluteness of self-enjoyment”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-notion-of-life-implies-a-certain-absoluteness-of-self-enjoyment/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [But at any rate, the point is that God is what nobody admits to being, and everybody really is. If you awaken from this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/but-at-any-rate-the-point-is-that-god-is-what-nobody-admits-to-being/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [If you awaken from this illusion, and you understand that black implies white, self implies other, life implies death - or shall I say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/if-you-awaken-from-this-illusion-and-you-understand-that-black/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [Good architecture should be a projection of life itself, and that implies an intimate knowledge of biological, social, technical, and artistic problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gropius/good-architecture-should-be-a-projection-of-life-itself-and-that/) [Walter Gropius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gropius/) > [“Haven't you ever heard people say just be yourself? That’s terrible advice! What if a man was a drunken, illiterate bigot? Being himself would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-daigle/haven-t-you-ever-heard-people-say-just-be-yourself-that-s-terrible/) [Arthur Daigle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-daigle/) > [A female artist friend of mine recently told me that she was advised to 'look more slutty.' I asked her boyfriend what the equivalent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kostabi/a-female-artist-friend-of-mine-recently-told-me-that-she-was-advised/) [Mark Kostabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kostabi/) > [At a particularly dicey moment in my own love life when I was interviewing Rupert Murdoch a number of years ago, I tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/at-a-particularly-dicey-moment-in-my-own-love-life-when-i-was/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [Best advice was from a man by the name of James Dean. "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today".…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-blatz/best-advice-was-from-a-man-by-the-name-of-james-dean-dream-as-if-you/) [Kelly Blatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-blatz/) > [Nothing is so beneficial to a young author as the advice of a man whose judgment stands constitutionally at the freezing-point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/nothing-is-so-beneficial-to-a-young-author-as-the-advice-of-a-man/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [Hindi nakukuha ang pagmamahal sa pagpilit sa taong mahal mo na mahalin ka. Take this as a simple advice from a man na minsan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/hindi-nakukuha-ang-pagmamahal-sa-pagpilit-sa-taong-mahal-mo-na/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [The best man of all is he who knows everything himself. Good also the man who accepts another's sound advice; but the man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/the-best-man-of-all-is-he-who-knows-everything-himself-good-also-the/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [“Babe, advice. A man expresses his gratitude, you do not throw attitude. You kiss him and, maybe, suck his dick to show your appreciation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/babe-advice-a-man-expresses-his-gratitude-you-do-not-throw-attitude/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/never-trust-the-advice-of-a-man-in-difficulties/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Good advice is something a man gives when he is too old to set a bad example.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/good-advice-is-something-a-man-gives-when-he-is-too-old-to-set-a-bad/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Never trust advice from a man in the throes of his own difficulty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/never-trust-advice-from-a-man-in-the-throes-of-his-own-difficulty/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) ## More by Hunter S. Thompson > [“There was also the fact that sending a penniless writer to get $135 worth of beer was — as Khrushchev said of Nixon —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-was-also-the-fact-that-sending-a-penniless-writer-to-get-135/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“Cases of champagne and scotch lay broken in the street, and everyone I saw had a bottle. They were screaming and dancing, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/cases-of-champagne-and-scotch-lay-broken-in-the-street-and-everyone-i/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [No music + Bad TV = Bad mood & no pages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-music-bad-tv-bad-mood-no-pages/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [By disgracing and degrading the presidency of the United States, by fleeing the White House like a diseased cur, Richard Nixon broke the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/by-disgracing-and-degrading-the-presidency-of-the-united-states-by/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [No one holds command over me. No man. No god. No Prince. What is a claim of age for ones who are immortal? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-one-holds-command-over-me-no-man-no-god-no-prince-what-is-a-claim/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“The person who doesn't scatter the morning dew will not comb grey hairs”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-person-who-doesn-t-scatter-the-morning-dew-will-not-comb-grey/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Hope rises and dreams flicker and die. Love plans for tomorrow and loneliness thinks of yesterday. Life is beautiful and living is pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/hope-rises-and-dreams-flicker-and-die-love-plans-for-tomorrow-and/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [If we get chased out of Iraq with our tail between our legs, that will be the fifth consecutive Third-world country with no hint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-we-get-chased-out-of-iraq-with-our-tail-between-our-legs-that-will/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [At age 22 I set what I insist is an all-time record for distance hitchhiking in Bermuda shorts: 3,700 miles in three weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/at-age-22-i-set-what-i-insist-is-an-all-time-record-for-distance/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Paranoia is just another mask for ignorance. The truth, when you finally chase it down is almost always far worse than your darkest visions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/paranoia-is-just-another-mask-for-ignorance-the-truth-when-you/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“No doubt they all Got What Was Coming To Them. All those pathetically eager acid freaks who thought they could buy Peace and Understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-doubt-they-all-got-what-was-coming-to-them-all-those-pathetically/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“For several months they'd been drifting toward political involvement, but the picture was hazy and one of the most confusing elements was their geographical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/for-several-months-they-d-been-drifting-toward-political-involvement/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [He wandered into the Newsroom and asked for a job the same way he’d walk into a barbershop and ask for a haircut, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/he-wandered-into-the-newsroom-and-asked-for-a-job-the-same-way-he-d/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [There's no point in getting into politics at all unless you plan to lash things around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-no-point-in-getting-into-politics-at-all-unless-you-plan-to/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [There’s a lot of things wrong with this country, but one of the few things still right with it is that a man can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-a-lot-of-things-wrong-with-this-country-but-one-of-the-few/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) [Explore all 765 Hunter S. Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. 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Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [My relationship with Ibrahimovic was completely neutral. He is not the type of player to approach the younger players and give them advice. 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": "To give advice to a man who asks what to do with his life implies something very close to egomania. 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