I agree with that notion, to an extent, Iphie, my buttercup. The logic is sound if only we can be objective and put sentiments at the back burner. A person who has failed an examination, usually performs a lot better at a resit. A person who has gone through a failed marriage has the vantage point of knowing what works and what doesn't in a successful marriage. I'm not saying a person who has failed at something is better than someone who hasn't, I'm saying it makes more sense that a person who has tasted both sides of a marriage would give advice based on personal experiences, which is more advantageous.
I had a chat with a colleague who said he would rather learn from the mistake of others than learn the hard way, from personal experience. I told him I would rather learn from my mistakes because flashbacks are the best checks and balances. Remembering the bitter experience is motivation enough to prevent a recurrence.You may never truly understand and appreciate the pain and complexities of a bad experience until you've been there and done that. If you've had the misfortune of being burnt by fire, you needn't be told to avoid naked flames. Sometimes, it takes a divorce to make a person appreciate a good marriage and advice couples on what not to do.
It's only a natural reaction to give the side eye to a divorcee dishing out marriage advice. After all, "physician heal thyself", but if we can put our biases aside and analyse the advice, we may find them very useful. Though the irony must be appreciated of a sales agent with an acne infested face selling beauty products for the perfect skin, but that doesn't mean the products aren't effective. Perhaps the sales agent is selling what he/she isn't using or his/her acne is resistant to the products. The image is obviously discouraging and ridiculous, but if you keep an open mind and decide to purchase the beauty products in spite of the face of the sales agent, the products may just turn out to be exactly what your skin requires.
She may seem like a fraud and a hypocrite right now but does it mean the advice she gives are ineffective? I think not. Just because the adviser doesn't heed her own advice, doesn't necessarily affect the potency of her advice. A sound advice remains sound, irrespective of the credibility or lack thereof of the adviser.
