Advice vs. compassion

Sometimes, when people tell about problems or issues in their life, they want advice, and sometimes they just want to be heard compassionately. It behooves everyone to know (and to check, if we don't know) which one is the case, before offering advice. (It also behooves us to notice when some "comfort" we might offer actually sounds like proselytizing, toxic positivity, or silencing. Don't do those.)

As a general rule, I am open to advice. If you have input on something I write, feel free to give it. If I need to set a boundary on a specific topic, I will do so explicitly.