Early 1900’s author, G.K. Chesterton said: “I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.”
I don’t know much about GK Chesterton, except that he was fairly prolific and quite religious in the Christian (Anglican) church and later converting to Catholicism. He wrote numerous Apologies for the church and religion, and George Bernard Shaw said Chesterton was a colossal intellect.
So, smart guy, well-educated, with devout core beliefs and well-thought out principles. And he says he listens to advice then does the opposite.
Does this mean that Mr. Chesterton felt he was simply smarter than everyone else? I somehow doubt it. Otherwise, he would not place himself in the position of “listening respectfully” to other people’s advice in the first place.
Could it mean that Chesterton thought other people offered only platitudes, or the “advice du jour” and what was popular thinking of the moment? Or, maybe he simply thought it was best to stay out of the ‘mainstream’ and therefore be perceived as a man who stood for something. I mean, on the one hand he seems respectful and a product of his times concerning religion and such. Yet on the other hand he gives the definite impression of a man going against the tide.
Read some of his stuff. You may be surprised.
I am not going to try to tell what he meant. That’s for you to figure out, and each and every one of you who read his words will probably have a slightly different take.
For me, what I think the advice means for me, is that one should always listen to the advice of persons you respect and of persons who are ‘more seasoned’ than yourself. And, you should listen to your heart and your conscience.
When it comes to a choice, like follow the advice or follow the heart, I would love to say that I always follow my heart. I don’t, and it would be a lie. I try to, I really do, but the polite and societal, civil man within me often leads me on paths away from my heart’s desire.
The one thing I can tell you for sure, is that the general public likes a person who stands for certain basic principles, regardless of whether they agree with those principles or not. We can all cite many examples of ‘men who stood apart’, often with very controversial stances, yet were devoutly respected because of their willingness to take a stand and not waffle.
At the same time, each of these persons also suffered the consequences of their stances, with detractors attempting to tear them down. Yet, they had the fortitude to remain true to their stance, their beliefs.
So, when it comes to choosing between the advice and the heart, listen to the advice and listen to the heart. Then, weigh the foreseeable consequences and make a decision based on whether or not you are willing to face up to the consequences of your decision. Regardless of the choices in front of you, each of the decisions you make about those choices is going to be based on what you want out of life.