Nothing to be done?

[sobrique]

Is there something you can do, when you see a friend making a mistake?
I'm not talking about the 'making a wrong turning' on a journey kind of mistake, but more the kind of 'sort it out, or you've just screwed up your life' sort of mistake?

I've always held that you can't stop someone making their own mistakes. If you try, then you just build their resentment, since unwanted advice is often unwelcome. Especially when it's about one's failings.

However, it's never so hard to do that as when it's not so much that you _think_ there'll be a problem as you're pretty damn certain there will. And you know it, and they know it, and you can see that they're denying it to themselves.

Or is there a better route? How would you deal with such a situation? Is it easier or harder to let them fall? And if you stop them falling, what incentive do they have to avoid it happening again?

Comments

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

I always tell them, especially in a situation when they're going to end up going out with somebody I can see is going to be abusive. As somebody who knows the signs better than most I think I have a duty to watch out for people who don't. If you fall into quicksand and struggle your way out, then somebody else comes along, you may as well tell them about the quicksand and then stand there to help them out if they don't listen, otherwise there's no good can be done to make up for your having fallen in there in the first place.