Advice needs context aka how to get all advice to work for you

Don't jump from high places is good advice.
But if you need to jump and it is safe, then you should still jump.

Advice requires context.

The problem is that aphorisms do not provide context.

This happens in all sorts of advice. "Work hard" is good advice, but some people never realize that they could increase efficiency and achieve much more work for the same amount of effort. "Work smart" is kind of the collolary to that. But then sometimes, well, you just need to work hard.

In that case working hard is working smart.

What is good advice

Good advice requires context.

The context is yourself and your circumstances and who is giving the advice.

Do they understand the game?
Do you understand their point of view?
Do they understand yours and can they advise on that point of view?

You basically need to find someone who has succeeded, with similar context, and who has enough self-awareness that they can distinguish between the things that they did that helped and did not help. Maybe they think that the hard driving attitude got them through it, but in actuality, it was a hindrance.

Or maybe they could have got through faster by having a hard driving attitude.

Basically you want continuance. A system that would work if put to the test multiple times.

This is different, say, than a person who won the lottery. The advice would be to buy a ticket, then you are rich.

They might tell you, well they had a good feeling that day and a bird flew by. But you had a good feeling and a bird flew by, and nothing happened. That is like how most people take advice. From people who do not understand context and they themselves do not understand context.

You need the principles.