You make it
so
inside your head.
Convince yourself
you’re right
and true.
Ask for advice,
but
debate each position
deny each observation
sputter
rant
and grumble about lack of support.
If you don’t want
to hear,
don’t ask.
If you won’t consider
perspectives,
don’t request them.
If you only want approval,
just say,
“Aren’t I great!”
and don’t be surprised
by silence.
Shawn L. Bird 
Yes, we walk through life and ought to expect to be challenged, in what will never be a cookie cutter world.
I see people who are gifted with comments from publishers or editors on their rejection letters, or who ask professionals for feedback, and they are rude and dismissive of the excellent advice because they can’t separate their egos from their work. It makes me so frustrated! You’re getting GOLD! LISTEN! They’d rather hear their own 10 friends who say “It’s great” and continue to complain that no one will publish them or buy their self-published, unedited work with bad cover art. ARG! You can’t get anywhere in life if you can’t consider feedback rationally.
Yes, and the hits and misses will just keep on coming. You are spot on with this, Shawn!
These are powerful words. Thank you for posting this poem.
The poem is spot on. I have a young friend who comes to me for advice, then argues with everything I tell him. His excuses for not taking my advice are sometimes legitimate, but are usually frivolous — something he himself refuses to see. Nice enough guy, but he’s got about as much sense about taking advice as a housefly.
Sometimes the first question is, “Why are you asking for advice?” Sometimes getting contrary advice does help you determine what you really want to do. You tend to fight for things you weren’t sure you really wanted yet.
I suppose what mostly annoys me about my young friend is that his reasons for rejecting advice are typically bogus. But very true about the different reasons for getting advice.
Nice. 🤘