You know how friends sometimes give the worst advice? Read this and you’ll never be that person.
There’s a reason why I text my friend R* daily. She is the queen of advice—like Kendall Jenner but without the model squad and stardom. A fight with my mom? A job I’m not sure I should take? Whether to insist my husband come to the three parties on the calendar? R* is guaranteed to tell me exactly what I need to hear. I save her wise texts to reread, I quote her to other friends, and I have actually copied her one liners onto Post-Its and stuck them on my computer, like she’s my personal meme generator.
We all deserve a friend (or five) like R*—and because doling out and receiving honest advice separates true emotional friends from superficial acquaintances, we want to get good at giving it too, says psychology professor Andrea Bonior, author of The Friendship Fix. Problem is, most of us are not IRL agony aunts. Half the time when we’re asked for advice, we make it up as we go along; the other half, we play to our biases or spout off a prettied-up version of The Rules.
It’s not surprising, then, to see a rise in invite-only Facebook girls’ groups that crowd source dating and life advice for members who may not trust (or want) their friends’ suggestions. “Advice is inherently difficult, and we’re pretty terrible at giving and receiving it,” says Silvia Bonaccio, a US-based associate professor of organisational behaviour, who researches how people give their two cents. “Advice means taking someone else’s perspective, which can be challenging.”
This story is from the April 2017 edition of Cosmopolitan India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2017 edition of Cosmopolitan India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The New Masculine
Gender is a construct; but one that invariably factors into attraction. In a 2024 world where the scope of gender is more multifarious than ever, what does it mean to be 'masculine'?
Do Women Make Better Leaders Than Men?
Psychologists, women entrepreneurs, their male counterparts, and a human resources expert weigh in.
One jacket, four ways
Cosmo India challenged top-tier celebrity stylists to turn muse for us as they showcased their unmatched personal style with one common designer ensemble. Class in session, people!
Can You (Ever) Date A Friend's Ex?
In a world of infinite choice and access, is it ever okay to push past the velvet rope into the hallowed territory all women hold as sacred?
It's time to update your monthly watchlist...
...from power-packed action thrillers to renewed seasons of your favourite OTT shows, here is the perfect list of latest releases to keep you entertained.
Shooting for the stars ft.Elnaaz Norouzi
Iranian-German model-turned-actor, who is known for her acting chops in Sacred Games and Made in Heaven S2, and singer on beating the odds, breaking into Bollywood, and staying true to herself.
Are We All In The Same Weirdly Devastating Three-Month Situationship?
Turns out, everybody goes through-er, grows through?—this kind of thing.
Everything you need for your next vacay, courtesy of Shenaz
From Australia and Austria to Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Italy, Shenaz Teasurywala has explored 14 cities across different countries in 2023! So the VJ and actor-turned-vlogger is just the right person to list valuable out what she learnt from her year of travel.
The two-ingredient matcha soft serve your lazy sweet tooth deserves
For when the McDonald's machine is broken...and for literally every other time.
Show me the money
Want to crack a few financial mysteries? Let Sayali Rai, founder of FinCocktail, share a few tricks to turn your money around.