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Robert Tamayo

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Suggesting Improvements

When someone does something funny, interesting, spectacular, or even just notable, don't recommend what you would have done to improve it.

For example, if someone announces that they are learning to paint in watercolor, don't recommend that they learn oil paints.  "You know what would be a really hard thing to learn? Oil painting!"

If someone shows you a wooden chair they made from scratch, don't recommend that they add handles. "Nice, you should add handles!"

If someone enthusiastically says they just bought a Ford Ranger, don't start talking about how great the Toyota Tacoma is. "The Tacoma is the real best truck, it blah blah blah...."

These "helpful recommendations" are not helpful. Whenever I talk to someone who recommends something like this to me after showing them something I've been working on, it comes across as intrusive, controlling, and unappreciative.
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