proverb · Words worth keeping
What every one asks, what every one gives, but what very few take—advice.
What every one asks, what every one gives, but what very few take—advice.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
People may ask for advice and readily offer it while being less willing to follow it. Consider whether guidance fits the situation, rather than assuming that asking means agreeing to act on every suggestion.
What the words are saying
The saying uses advice as the answer to a contrast between asking, giving and taking. Everyone and very few are emphatic wording, not measured proportions. A person may seek another perspective while still needing to make their own choice, and advice can be unsuitable or contradictory. The useful concern is the gap between collecting suggestions and considering them seriously. It also invites the giver to ask whether their guidance is relevant and wanted. Taking advice does not require unquestioning obedience; it can mean examining the reasons and deciding what can sensibly be applied to the actual circumstances.
Everyday example
A volunteer asks several experienced organisers for suggestions, then compares the reasons and chooses the ones that fit the room and time available.
When to use it
Use it when asking or offering advice has become detached from thoughtful consideration.
What it does not mean
Rejecting a suggestion is not automatically stubbornness; the recipient remains responsible for judging its relevance.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 9 · Advice
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English