--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a psychiatrist writes a bestseller…" description: "\"When a psychiatrist writes a bestseller, he is then urged to write a book of advice. But I think our culture's awash in advice. The problem is we don't..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/peter-d-kramer-46575_advice_when-a-psychiatrist-writes-a-bestseller_1745986.jpg" --- # When a psychiatrist writes a bestseller, he is then urged… ![“When a psychiatrist writes a bestseller, he is then urged to write a book of advice. But I think our culture's awash in advice. The problem is we don't know whether it applies to us or whether we're an exception.” quote by Peter D. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/peter-d-kramer-46575_advice_when-a-psychiatrist-writes-a-bestseller_1745986.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/peter-d-kramer-46575_advice_when-a-psychiatrist-writes-a-bestseller_1745986.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ff/peter-d-kramer-46575_advice_when-a-psychiatrist-writes-a-bestseller_1745986.jpg) > “When a psychiatrist writes a bestseller, he is then urged to write a book of advice. But I think our culture's awash in advice. The problem is we don't know whether it applies to us or whether we're an exception.” [Peter D. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-d-kramer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights the proliferation of advice literature and the difficulty of knowing its relevance to one's personal situation. **In simple terms:** Advice is abundant but not always applicable. Key Takeaway Critically assess advice before adopting. Themes self‑help culture individuality Mood skeptical analytical Type critical practical When to use this quote - reading - therapy - personal development - decision making Key Concepts advice overload personal relevance Questions to Reflect On - When is advice truly useful? - How to filter advice for personal fit? A Different Perspective Advice can be generic; not all fits everyone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Psychiatrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychiatrist/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [There are a few books I can recommend, but one you should read for sure is 'Do More Faster,' a book full of advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-tans/there-are-a-few-books-i-can-recommend-but-one-you-should-read-for/) [Gillian Tans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-tans/) > [Still, I kept writing. I had no guarantee that I would someday win awards for writing. 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But I think the one I use the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-moss/i-ve-worked-with-a-lot-of-great-people-so-i-ve-gotten-a-lot-of-great/) [Elisabeth Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-moss/) > [My advice to those who think they have to take off their clothes to be a star is, once you're boned, what's left to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/my-advice-to-those-who-think-they-have-to-take-off-their-clothes-to/) [Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/) > [“I never used to realize it, I guess. I try and play it along and just not make trouble for people. Probably I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-never-used-to-realize-it-i-guess-i-try-and-play-it-along-and-just/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Never change who you are because somebody says you should … and never change because you think you should. In life, we are all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-mcclean/never-change-who-you-are-because-somebody-says-you-should-and-never/) [Joanne McClean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-mcclean/) > [I'm very wary about giving advice. I think it's very dangerous to give advice to people, except if you know them very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-sharif/i-m-very-wary-about-giving-advice-i-think-it-s-very-dangerous-to-give/) [Omar Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-sharif/) > [I don't have any advice at all. 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Some days you have to overrule even the best advice, because you think it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/being-in-charge-sometimes-means-making-people-mad-some-days-you-have/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Sometimes when I get asked by younger wrestlers, 'Do you have any advice for me? What do you think you can help me on?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rey-mysterio/sometimes-when-i-get-asked-by-younger-wrestlers-do-you-have-any/) [Rey Mysterio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rey-mysterio/) ## More by Peter D. Kramer > [“It is not only medicine that maintains well-being. Once we function competently, the world may pitch in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-d-kramer/it-is-not-only-medicine-that-maintains-well-being-once-we-function/) [Peter D. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-d-kramer/) > [The success of Prozac says that today's high-tech capitalism values a very different temperament. Confidence, flexibility, quickness, and energy - the positive aspects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-d-kramer/the-success-of-prozac-says-that-today-s-high-tech-capitalism-values-a/) [Peter D. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-d-kramer/) > [Suicide is what the death certificate says when one dies of depression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-d-kramer/suicide-is-what-the-death-certificate-says-when-one-dies-of-depression/) [Peter D. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-d-kramer/) > [“Depression, in its insidious way, acts as a degenerative disease, harming nerve cells. Like”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-d-kramer/depression-in-its-insidious-way-acts-as-a-degenerative-disease/) [Peter D. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-d-kramer/) > [I do not like to see men walk away from women in late middle age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-d-kramer/i-do-not-like-to-see-men-walk-away-from-women-in-late-middle-age/) [Peter D. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-d-kramer/) > [Part of the impetus for my writing is the pain I've seen my friends experience both in their marriage and in their dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-d-kramer/part-of-the-impetus-for-my-writing-is-the-pain-i-ve-seen-my-friends/) [Peter D. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-d-kramer/) > [What if Van Gogh had taken medication for his mental illness? Would the world have been deprived of a great artist?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-d-kramer/what-if-van-gogh-had-taken-medication-for-his-mental-illness-would/) [Peter D. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-d-kramer/) [Explore all 8 Peter D. Kramer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-d-kramer/) ## 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. 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