Is it worth giving advice to someone who doesn't listen?

  There’s something curious (and frustrating) about certain friendships: that moment when a friend asks you for advice - with genuine seriousness and attention - but then does the exact opposite of what you said. Sometimes they don’t even try to adapt what they heard. They just ignore it. The truth is, this happens more often than it should - and not out of malice. In most cases, there are more layers beneath the surface than we might think.
  I have a friend like that. He asks, listens, seems to value what I say - but in the end, makes the opposite choice, even after several signs that he might want to go a different route. I’ve asked myself if it’s because he feels unsure about taking my advice - maybe because I’m younger, or seemingly have less hands-on experience in certain areas. And maybe that’s true - but when experience comes from careful observation and the ability to analyze patterns, it’s not worth less. It’s just a different kind of value. And it can be just as helpful.
  Even so, it’s easy to let the ego take over and feel like you’re wasting your time or not being taken seriously. Worse still: like you’re being tested or provoked. I’ve fallen into that passive-aggressive trap myself. Things like: “Sure, do whatever you want,” “I knew you’d do that,” or those silences loaded with judgment. But the truth is, t
hat attitude helps no one. It only creates distance. And more importantly, it ends up saying more about us than about the other person.
So, what do you do when someone asks for your advice… and doesn’t take it?
  Here are a few reminders I find useful for myself too:

1. Accept that advice is an offer, not an obligation. The final decision is always the other person’s. Giving advice doesn’t entitle us to control - only to share a perspective.
2. Ask yourself if they really wanted advice… or just needed to vent. As I mentioned in another article, sometimes asking for an opinion is actually a way of seeking validation or emotional support - not a solution.
3. Don’t take it personally when advice is ignored. When someone chooses not to follow what you suggested, it’s not necessarily an attack on your ability to think or help. There may be fears, habits, or internal wounds guiding that choice.
4. Be consistent with yourself. You don’t need to play emotional games to be heard. Show that you’re available, but also that you know when to step back. Emotional maturity is often measured by how we respond to what others do with what we offer.
5. Quietly remember your own worth. When time proves your advice made sense, you don’t need to say “I told you so.” True clarity doesn’t need to prove itself.

  In the end, there’s an art to giving advice: knowing when to speak, when to stay silent, and - most of all - how not to hold a grudge when your advice goes unheard. If someone trusts you enough to share their doubts, that’s already a gesture of closeness. And if they keep messing up? Maybe they need a hug more than a lecture.
  And you… do you struggle with this too?