Debate: Is it better to stay quiet or speak up when a friend's new hobby is clearly a bad idea?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucasw821mo agoTop Commenter

Man, my track record on this is awful. Last year my buddy got super into DIY car repairs and I stayed quiet because I didn't want to hurt his feelings. He ended up stripping the oil pan bolt and we had to tow the thing to a shop on a flatbed. Meanwhile I once told a friend her macrame hobby was a waste of money, and now she's got a successful Etsy shop and I look like a total jerk. Honestly, speaking up is the right call if you can do it without sounding like a know-it-all. The trick is to ask questions instead of dumping your opinion. Like, "Have you looked into what that costs long term?" works way better than "That's a terrible idea." But if you're like me, you'll either say nothing and watch the disaster, or say everything and eat your words. There's no winning, just pick your embarrassment and go with it.

cole9941mo ago

Pick your embarrassment and go with it" might be the most accurate thing I've read all week. My version of this is telling my cousin his plan to turn a minivan into a drifting car was "cute" and now he's got a YouTube channel with like 40k subs. Meanwhile I warned a coworker about buying a fixer-upper house and she flipped it for a profit in six months. So yeah, I'm either the silent enabler or the loud idiot. There's no middle ground, just a cheaper tow bill or a humble pie dinner.