question help: On giving help. - Help.com

tumble weed
online Verified (1 year, 1 month) Visit tumble weed's shoutbox
Waterloo, ON, CA

On giving help.

The responsibility from giving help is enormous, and giving an answer without biases is very difficult. How can we be sure we are really helping someone? What questions should we ask ourselves before we give them our input?

This open post was written 1 year, 1 month ago | V/U/S: 187, 8, 7 | Edit Post | Leave a reply | Report Post


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Since writing this post tumble weed has helped in 2 other users' posts within the last 4 days. tumble weed is a verified member, has been around for 1 year, 1 month and has 23 posts and 446 replies to their name.

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Rushyo offline Verified User (1 year, 2 months) Long Term User Shouts: 2 #
Kirkburton, G8, GB | 1 year, 1 month ago (26 minutes after post)

One can only relay their experiences. No advice is perfect, but some people have more experience in that area and, importantly, are better at relaying their knowledge to another person.

Through passing on our knowledge, we are allowing the person who is receiving that advice to make more educated decisions without having to go through the same experiences we have.

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*lilies offline Verified User (1 year, 8 months) Long Term User Shouts: 414 #
An Undisclosed Location | 1 year, 1 month ago (34 minutes after post)

by just reading someone’s post and listening to one’s rant can be a good help, a lot of people here do not ask for advice but in need of encouragement, approval and acceptance.
the poster can get many replies as possible, enough for them to know other people’s different opinions. biases are everywhere but these same biases can be the source of light for someone who needs it the most.

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Times' gone mad offline Verified User (1 year, 6 months) Long Term User Shouts: 30 #
Silver Spring, MD, US | 1 year, 1 month ago (37 minutes after post)

I don’t think users are ‘giving help’ per say, we’re giving advice based on conjecture of the person asking, or based on personal experiences.

The only way to ‘be sure’ is if the person asking the question gives a follow up to let the ‘helpers’ know what the end result is.

In the end it’s the person who asked the question that needs to take the answers with a grain of salt and apply the responses how they feel it’s appropriate (being that it is they who are in the situation and know the ‘whole story’). Most of us don’t claim to be experts, just empathetic ears with voices and opinions.

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The Chronicler offline Verified User (1 year, 4 months) Long Term User Shouts: 0 #
Newcastle Under Lyme, N4, GB | 1 year, 1 month ago (1 hour, 10 minutes after post)

Well, you never really know. If a person seems to need help, I will try to give them help, if I think I can. If I think I can’t, I hope that someone else can. Just try.

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Help me with: I hate people.
Xeno Dragon offline Verified User (1 year, 7 months) Long Term User Shouts: 418 #
Phoenix, AZ, US | 1 year, 1 month ago (1 hour, 32 minutes after post)

The question you need to ask is ‘What Would Xeno Do?’

lol

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Times' gone mad offline Verified User (1 year, 6 months) Long Term User Shouts: 30 #
Silver Spring, MD, US | 1 year, 1 month ago (1 hour, 38 minutes after post)

Xeno Dragon wrote:
The question you need to ask is ‘What Would Xeno Do?’

lol

Riggght…so where do I get in on this rotation? :D

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The Chronicler offline Verified User (1 year, 4 months) Long Term User Shouts: 0 #
Newcastle Under Lyme, N4, GB | 1 year, 1 month ago (5 hours, 54 minutes after post)

I think that the point he is trying to make is: you should think of someone you admire, and think about what they would do.

Doctor.

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Help me with: I hate people.
Dan TL offline Verified User (1 year, 4 months) Long Term User Shouts: 56 #
La Mirada, CA, US | 1 year, 1 month ago (17 hours, 53 minutes after post)

I like to put myself in there situation as much as possable, then tell them what their options are and what could happen, I just want to help them make a better choice.

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