From the perspective of the advice-giver you can still choose how to phrase your hard-learned lessons though. Over the past few years I've learned to never try

From the perspective of the advice-giver you can still choose how to phrase your hard-learned lessons though. Over the past few years I've learned to never try to shoot down someone's passion. At most I'll acknowledge that what they're trying to do is going to be difficult, but the brunt of my communication will be focused on what I believe will give them the best shot at achieving their objective. Unless they're betting the house, bank or their marriage on a truly hare-brained scheme of course.