I, basically, don't give advice to people.

Advice is advice, a just phrase, an empty sound signal without substance.

It is not the "act of helping" itself.

Since I was young, I have been really fed up with receiving unsolicited advice from people I didn't ask for, one-sidedly.

However, as I reflect on myself as a senior, I know that I am more likely to give this 'unsolicited advice' to others.

Therefore, I try to monitor myself.

Well, in my case, I have a "blog," which is an unspecified device to transmit information to a large number of people, so I can say that I am fulfilling that desire.

However, I believe that my blog is distinct from the above 'unsolicited advice' because 'those who find it offensive should not read the blog'.

-----

Although it is very rare, I do get 'advice that I am asked for'.

Basically, I try to respond when asked, but even then I try to keep my advice within the scope of what I am asked to do.

I monitor myself to make sure that the topic does not evolve into something completely different, or into bragging about myself, much less preaching.

-----

I have two methods of self-monitoring.

(1) Set an end time.

(2) Control the conversation so that the length of time me and the other person are talking is "equally" long.

For me, the difficult part is (2).

I have a lot of material -- roughly 4,000 blogs (10 years worth), 300 columns, and about 200 commercial columns. So, I tend to talk about things you don't want to hear about.

Therefore, the time limit in (1) is important to control this.

-----

As I am sure you can understand, one of the reasons I avoid drinking parties is this.

A drunken boss brags and lectures you endlessly from the start of a drinking session to its breakup - who would want to go to such a "hell"?

Well, now that I am a respectable senior citizen, I don't think I will have to go through this now.

But, on the other hand, I could be as ugly as these bosses.

If I were to make such an abomination,' I will say, 'I would be tempted to shoot myself in the head with a pistol.

-----

You already know what I mean.

It means there are persons who make me think, 'Take a pistol and shoot yourself in the head'.

And so I am now soaking up the happiness of the last three years of the Corona Disaster, when I did not have a drinking party.