Picture a movie. Now, picture a conflict, and then a mad dash to the airport to declare love or patch things up between the protagonist and a prospective soulmate. In the end, the problem is solved, and the two people have found each other despite all odds. The outcome is picturesque, perfection tied up with a bow. However, it wasn't always this way. Something has to happen for the protagonist to finally hop into a taxi and speed off into the sunset. That something almost always takes place after the main character is overwhelmed with something they cannot control, something they find too hard to handle on their own. That something is advice. The value of advice to the protagonist is surely immeasurable, as it shows that someone cares, and provides them with a plethora of separate ways to look at the issue. Advice is vital to a person's grasp of a situation, and the positive effects of good advice are priceless.

We as human beings crave empathy. If it is lacking from a person's life, chances are they will be drawn to any hint of it from somebody else. Advice is a common form of empathy, as it is made up of an understanding of a certain situation and sympathy towards the problems it is causing a person. It displays a level of awareness that isn't found in other contexts. Being able to listen to advice from more than one person helps regardless of what is being said, because it reassures a person that they are not alone in dealing with their problem.

Even though advice is generally recieved from trusted individuals, it is important to be careful. When it comes from someone whose intentions are to help solve the issue, it can have a positive effect on the reciever. If it is doled out by someone whose sole intention is to benefit themselves, it can harm everyone involved. In order to avoid the latter, it is exceedingly important to rely on not just one person's opinion, but a wide variety of solutions to the problem. That way, instead of risking your emotions and livelihood on a single, possibly prejudiced opinion, you can analyze an array of opinions to find the ones that help you the most.

A month ago, I found out I was moving to another county. This meant that I would be away from the high school that I had applied to, and that because of the distance I wouldn't be able to see my friends again. It seemed like there was no successful end in sight, and that I had tried every possible solution with no outcome. I went to see a therapist to talk about this issue, and to seek some reassurance that I would be all right no matter where I went. Listening to one person, however, didn't help me feel any better. In the end, what helped was talking it through with my friends and listening to each and every one of their opinions on the matter. I didn't feel alone, as though I was the only one who cared about how this was affecting me, and I was able to look at the situation with fresh eyes. I was faced with solutions I hadn't even considered, because they were coming from people who could empathize with me in a different way. When it came to how to handle this difficult experience, I could make a choice based on not just my own thoughts, but the thoughts of those around me.