“I dislike giving advice, and am always very careful to find out what the person needs to hear (not necessarily wants to hear; the two usually have little in common) before venturing into that territory.”

— John Howe (illustrator)

In the Artist's Studio interview (2010)
Context: I dislike giving advice, and am always very careful to find out what the person needs to hear (not necessarily wants to hear; the two usually have little in common) before venturing into that territory. I’m sure I have received much good advice, but can only recall the bad.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Aug. 29, 2025. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "I dislike giving advice, and am always very careful to find out what the person needs to hear (not necessarily wants to…" by John Howe (illustrator)?

John Howe (illustrator) 8

Canadian illustrator 1957

Related quotes

“[About David Becker] He's grovelling again. You know, I always talk about the reporters that grovel when they want to write something that you want to hear but not necessarily millions of people want to hear or have to hear.”

Donald J. Trump (1946) 45th President of the United States of America

"Trump's voter fraud talk has liberals worried" http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38764653/, BBC (27 January 2017)
2010s, 2017, January

“Some of my friends are skeptical when they hear me say this, but I am by nature a person who dislikes confrontation.”

Desmond Tutu (1931) South African churchman, politician, archbishop, Nobel Prize winner

Forward (April 2011)
God Is Not a Christian: And Other Provocations (2011)
Context: Some of my friends are skeptical when they hear me say this, but I am by nature a person who dislikes confrontation. I have consciously sought during my lifetime to emulate my mother, whom our family knew as a gentle “comforter of the afflicted.” However, when I see innocent people suffering, pushed around by the rich and the powerful, then, as the prophet Jeremiah, says, if I try to keep quiet is is as if the word of God burned like a fire in my breast. I feel compelled to speak out, sometimes to even argue with God over how a loving creator can allow this to happen.
In the Church of Sant'Egido in Rome, home of an extraordinary community of lay people devoted to working with the poor, there is an old crucifix that portrays Christ without arms. When I asked about its importance to the community, I was told that it shows how God relies on us to do God's work in the world.
Without us, God has no eyes, without us, God has no ears; without us, God has no arms or hands. God relies on us. Won't you join other people of faith in becoming God's partners in the world?

“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.”

Harry Truman (1884–1972) American politician, 33rd president of the United States (in office from 1945 to 1953)

Interview http://books.google.com/books?id=r03gAAAAMAAJ&q=%22I+have+found+the+best+way+to+give+advice+to+your+children+is+to+find+out+what+they+want+and+then+advise+them+to+do+it%22&pg=PA104#v=onepage with Margaret Truman, sitting in for host Edward R. Murrow, on Person to Person, CBS Television ( 27 May 1955 http://www.tv.com/shows/person-to-person/may-27-1955-1040725/)

“The press is always looking for a little twist to a story and what I've learned is that it all turns out very superficial. So you need to become what they want, you need to give what they put out.”

River Phoenix (1970–1993) American actor, musician, and activist

E! Television (1988)

“I get very concerned when we start hearing people who want to convert this country into a safe place for children. I am adult. I want available what I need to see.”

Judith Krug (1940–2009) librarian and freedom of speech proponent

"Oak Lawn Library Vows to Keep Playboy on Shelf" by Jo Napolitano, Chicago Tribune, (June 23, 2005)

“It’s easy to encourage dependency; harder to help people into a life of purpose and dignity. The worst are politicians who smugly talk about caring for the little guy, and then abandon the poorest, most vulnerable of our children to schools that give them little chance to succeed. That’s not just hypocrisy. It’s a tragedy. I became a conservative because I believe that caring for people means more than just spending taxpayer money; it means delivering results. It means respecting and challenging our citizens, telling them what they need to hear, not simply what they want to hear.”

Eric Greitens (1974) American politician, author, and former Navy SEAL

Former Navy SEAL: Why I am no longer a Democrat http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/07/13/former-navy-seal-why-am-no-longer-democrat.html (July 13, 2015)