I deleted the previous submission to Words of Wisdom yesterday. The submission was about my views on the loneliness epidemic and how particular technological advancements, in my estimation, were on course to make this worse than ever. I realised this sort of submission was off the mark. It wasn't wisdom, it was a speculative attempt to intellectualise an (albeit very real) problem that I am concerned about. It wasn't based on my own experience, nor anybody else's. The problem with providing unsolicited or speculative "insights" is that there is no way to measure the truth value of them, and they could well be very wrong. The same problem arises when you find yourself in a scenario when someone has come to you for help. You need to be very careful with the "advice" or guidance that you provide. You need to be impeccable with your word. I have seen first hand the impact of ill-intentioned advice. I do not mean the type of advice where the advice-giver is actively attempting to ruin the recipient's life. No, the poor advice I've seen doesn't stem from malevolence or ill-will, rather a selfish need to appear intelligent or perhaps a delusion that they are "ahead." You need to be exceptionally careful with the advice you give, and pay particular care to the reasons for each suggestion you are making. I think it is best to be extremely cautious, and to remove any beliefs that you know what is best for the person in question, not only do you not know what is best, you obviously do not want that responsibility. "If they do exactly as you say, and something good happens to them. Well, who's victory is that? Yours or theirs? And if it is yours, did you just steal it? And let's say they fail, following your advice, well they pay the price for that, and you can skip away merrily and say 'well I should have spoken more carefully' Don't impose your notions of someone else's destiny on them, you do not know where they are headed (Peterson)." You're there to help them think through their problem, not to solve it, or impose your viewpoints on the situation. These words of wisdom aren't here to solve problems, they are designed to make you think. They mostly stem from my personal experiences, using help from people far more intelligent than me to articulate the moral of the story. I will from now only attempt to share that which I assume to be true, there will be no more speculation on topics outside my sphere of understanding.

If you have read the first of these submissions you may be aware that I am working on a journal of lessons I have learned, and the first chapter is dedicated to the key lessons I learned from the people in my family. For example, here is what I wrote for my late grandfather: "Grandad showed me that loving your family is the most important thing a man can do. He taught me the importance of Peace, and of God. Unfortunately, as the person I lost first, he also taught me the necessity of giving your loved ones their flowers whilst they are still with you. The man with a Powerful Spirit." This week my uncle, and sister's Godfather, passed away after a short-lived battle with terminal cancer. He was a good man, who weathered incredibly difficult times. When asked how he's doing, his response was always something along the lines of "I'll be alright." Without delving into the inner workings of my family, I can outline that my uncle's life was difficult. He and my aunt didn't have children and eventually they went separate ways after over 30 years of marriage. It was this event that highlighted to me how difficult life is for a man and this hardship is no excuse for losing your standards and being anything less than a gentleman. When the separation happened, my aunt moved back in with her sister and parents. She was welcomed and supported. My uncle was alone, his parents had passed and he was hundreds of miles away from his childhood hometown and siblings because he had left almost three decades prior to pursue a life with his childhood sweetheart, moving close to my aunt and her family. Post separation, he was alone, his only support financially, emotionally, and mentally was himself. Despite this, my uncle went to work day in, day out. He supported the least fortunate members of society by supplying wheelchairs to them day in, day out. Not only did he carry on contributing to society, and supporting his own livelihood. He also made an effort with my aunt, continuing to pay for her phone bills and the maintenance of her car. He was under no obligations to do this, aside from being bound by those very real obligations which come with unconditional love and selfless attempts to be a gentleman.