Search Results: how often should we talk

Do you think it's best if people make their own decisions, and keep their relationships private, or has the advice you've received helped you and your relationships?

In general, has venting been more of a positive or a negative?

Friends and family can be a sounding board, to listen and help you assess certain problems and issues that arise in your relationships. But they can be hugely influential. I have seen people give very strongly-worded advice, bad advice, and push the person/asker into doing something they might not have otherwise.

It's a difficult question to answer with just two choices, I know, because certain people are patient and therefore do give careful, well-thought-out, informed advice, while others have more of an impatient, smash and grab style to dishing out advice (i. e. they like to get on with it, and aren't around later to pick up the pieces, should their advice ultimately cause more problems.)

But I can't make the poll more elaborate, or it wouldn't be effective. So overall, is your takeaway that revealing secrets and very personal details about your relationships is okay/good/advice is good to get, or that it is quite often detrimental, because either the advice is bad, or that people you asked do not accept your decisions, become too invested, and tend to harbour resentment either to you, or your partner, refusing to be neutral with you or them, from that point on?

I'm sure there have been a lot of you on the receiving end of advice, or the partner of the person receiving advice, and suddenly your relationship is being impacted by people you barely know or have talked to.

I see a lot of people taking in what others think and say, and honestly, sometimes it makes me cringe. It's quite the power to wield.