In the space of 24 hours, people I had never met told me how to sleep, how to sit, how to walk, what to eat and how to breathe
The other day, in a moment befitting the tenor of 2021, I felt overwhelmed. At that moment, it wasn’t the fear of another lockdown or the slow pace of the vaccine rollout that was bothering me, but an awareness of a distinct kind of intrusion into my day: other people’s advice. I was sick of commentators, prognosticators, snake oil salesmen and pundits – some with dubious qualifications – telling me how to live.
This is not entirely their fault. After all, these are the books, podcasts, commentary and documentaries I had signed up for, purchased and scrolled/half-read in the hope of increased enlightenment. And yet I felt drained by the number of people offering their take on wine pairings, how to handle difficult co-workers, the best stretches to cure lower back pain, and why creative writing is like a shy snow leopard that must be coaxed gently from its den (by reading this 10-step guide).
