"Follow your dreams" is the stupidest advice ever.

[DonFerrari]

danasider said:
I agree that this sentiment is foolhardy, but only because we have an incorrect focus when we talk about "dreams." The real thing people should do is follow what they are both good at enjoy. Then success shouldn't be so far off, because they will have the skill which they can nurture further through their enthusiasm.

I think happiness is an idea we can all strive for, so if anything (yes, even depressives can find ways through therapy and medication, etc), that's the dream we should be following. It will take work, and it might not be glamorous, but if we tap into what makes each of us special, whether we're really good at athletics or really good at cleaning, we can make a living out of it and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

But people have to reign in their expectations of those fruits just like they should be realistic about their "dreams." It takes work, and not everyone will be a millionaire dating models, so if we learn to be content with less, happiness isn't out of the question.

Okay, done be Confucius.

Yep that is a much better advice

"Find something you are good at and make you happy and put the effort"

DélioPT said:

EricHiggin said:

It's not just about how it's said, it's where and when as well. Not always, but quite often, it's on the red carpet or on a stage, part of some big time event, looked upon as a major achievement, where people's minds can be misguided into thinking what they are hearing, as well as what they are seeing, are directly linked. This is a problem. All it would take is another sentence to make it perfectly clear, but that could lead to the initial phrase losing it's glorified meaning. 

Some people can read between the lines, due to their intelligence or life experience, but many cannot. This is why it's important that people (kids) are taught to think outside the box, like questioning things that don't make complete sense, and not simply eating what they are fed. You don't need to "bite the hand that feeds you", but you should immediately be asking what's in the food if it doesn't taste right.

First, those situations are the exceptions, not the rule. And it doesn't seem fair to judge the basis or consequences of an advice based on exceptions.

What you said can be said for just about anything.
There will always be people who will think things will just come easy - even without such an advice.
That's why i think that telling people to follow your dreams isn't a bad thing to say, despite some people reading it the wrong way.

I understand that sometimes that phrase has a "glorified meaning", but again, it's not the rule. And reading too much that way makes you forget of the good that comes with people saying that.

DonFerrari said:

And have you ever heard anyone saying follow your dream with cautionary counters? If you don't limit the follow your dream then it really falls down on it will happen.

Do you think that when people give an advice or offer a suggestion, it makes sense for that person to cover all the things that might go wrong/not work?

The advice in itself, is simple and, again, you can't stop people from reading it wrong even if you say "follow your dreams, but…"

As i said above, those that say it as if following your dreams is easy, are the execptions and that shouldn't stop us from using it or supporting it because of the possible negative effects.

When I give advise I don't do it with empty words on small phrases.