I never worry about people not taking my advice. I worry about it when they do.
People ignoring you is the default state. Eight billion people spend their whole lives not listening to me, and only a handful of people might. But to those handful, I owe a great debt of responsibility. On the off chance that someone might take my advice, I do my best to give it carefully and thoughtfully.
There are certain phrases and conversations that have stuck with me across decades. I don’t think their speakers necessarily intended that when they spoke those words to me, but here they are. You never know which moment will have just the right shape and just the right trajectory to stick in someone’s mind forever.
Speak less, speak more carefully. Think more, and think more carefully, too. You never know who depends on it.
The Opportunity Machine 