Why is this an issue with some people? Often times I hear people saying, “Never take advice from a single person. They won’t give you nothing, but a jaded outlook. Besides, they’re probably jealous of your relationship anyway.” or “Asking advice from single people is like asking parenting advice from someone that doesn’t have or want children.”

People should stop putting themselves on a pedestal and flattering themselves. No relationship is perfect; therefore, no one needs to be jealous of you and your partner, number one. Number two, parenting is way different from being taken versus being single. You could have had a relationship and gained a great amount of knowledge from it, but are now single. But, being a parent is something you absolutely have to have had experienced before you can give out advice. The two are not the same at all.

I know the problem stems mostly from women asking other women and men saying, “Stop asking your bitter friends about love – they’ll only tell you I’m nothing anyway,” but it is on you to ask the right people. If you know you have bitter friends, don’t ask them about love. You should know better. I think that makes sense.

Here’s the thing: First of all, unless you asked your friend for advice, no one should be giving it to you anyway, because that’s just drama waiting to happen. But, if you do ask for advice, are you saying you would only ask someone who’s currently in a relationship? Why?

Unless you have a friend that’s never been in a relationship to understand relationship woes, why would you not ask their opinion on something if you really needed to? As it was mentioned, you wouldn’t ask a non-parent, parenting advice, so why would you ask a person that’s never been in a relationship for advice? But, know that just because they are single now, it doesn’t mean they’ve always been single. They could very well have been in a relationship longer than the one you are in. They could very well have been in a relationship or two more than you have. Their advice is no less qualified than someone who’s currently involved. Furthermore, the person that’s in a relationship that you happen to ask could still be jealous of your relationship. Besides, what they’re going through in their life could be the exact opposite of what you’re going through in yours. Therefore, they could still give you jaded and bad advice. Your relationship is yours. Their relationship is theirs.

Also, if you need to seek out the opinions of others with regards to your relationship, you could very well have a bigger issue. When you need opinions, depending on the topic at heart, you should very well be communicating and talking to your significant other, not spilling the beans to others. All that being said, sometimes you do need advice from friends and family, and that’s fine, but you shouldn’t be discriminating about who you ask just because they’re single. You could be missing out on experiences that directly reflect the issue you may be curious about.

Don’t be so quick to judge and assume. You really end up looking stupid and immature when you say things that clearly haven’t been fully thought through. Some of my very best advice came from someone who had been where I currently was and, by chance, was now single, but they very much understood what I was going through. Their offer of their perspective helped me to see things differently. People not in your situation usually paint a very realistic picture, while you remain blinded and jaded by love. You don’t have to take their advice – you should definitely be making your own decisions – but others’ perspectives can often aid you in making a decision best for you.