Local sources in Philadelphia, PA, report that the unsolicited advice provided to 25-year-old Stephanie Ames yesterday was… actually kind of useful?
Uh, oh! Sources are reporting this may result in a significant life change.
The incident occurred at 10:35 a.m. yesterday, when so-called “friend,” 26-year-old Andrew Bates explained to Stephanie, unprovoked, how she could plan her schedule better and stop putting off necessary tasks.
“I used to procrastinate a lot. But I found that when I had a busy day, making and crossing off items on a to-do list helped me to feel more motivated,” said Andrew over coffee, with no consideration as to whether Stephanie wanted advice. “When you plan ahead and feel the accomplishment of getting something simple done, you want to do more because you realize how good it feels to have one less thing on your plate.”
At first, Stephanie was deeply offended.
“My life is chaotic and Andrew could have just shut the fuck up,” she explains. But over 24 hours after the fated incident, Stephanie is still processing how useful the advice was.
“I tend to avoid meaningful self-reflection at all costs, so this is hard for me to say, but I did get a couple of things done after talking to Andrew and I do actually feel better because of it.”
Experts largely agree that it was bold of Andrew to offer the suggestion, even if it was ultimately helpful.
“Usually unsolicited advice is not good, and sometimes comes across as condescending or annoying,” reports behavioral expert and psychologist, Dr. Maria Ronald.
“But truly the most unsettling unsolicited advice is good unsolicited advice,” she elaborated. “No one’s truly prepared to receive honest information like that without warning.”
Stephanie admits she is still shaken.
“I can’t just continue on with my life as if I didn’t hear what Andrew said,” Stephanie explained. “But actually sitting down to make a to-do list feels like admitting the advice was useful, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
At press time, all members of Stephanie’s friend group have decided to stay away from Andrew to avoid a similar fate.
