Why Indians give unsolicited advice?

Why do we Indians give unwanted advise? ... to friends and even strangers??

For example .... if you tell an Indian you have a Cold, he will become your family-physician and suggest various remedies; If you say you have Diabetes, then he will be a Diabetolgist; If you have Cancer, then you will face a Godman with Magical Cures!

Is it in our in our Genes to give advise? or does it come from our Culture?? or our old joint-family traditions???

Your views are welcome ... I hope this thread does'nt become as controversial as the India Developing-Developed one

I've never had Indians give me medical advice, other than the doctors. But I have had people in India tell me about ways to get around town, and it has been very beneficial, so, I don't know, I've never come across your perspective.

Is this a question for introspection

Normally I have seen this done by relative who really care for the person and want the person to get better and share any and everything they know in order to get the person better.

So if the person cares for even a traveller they will share with them any kind of home remedy they have to make them get better. Bottom line they care. Not usually seen in other places/countries for the fear of getting sued.

I think it's because Indians are inherently of caring nature and dont like to see people in trouble and thus the advice. What's the harm in giving it? If you don't want to heed the advice, hear it from one ear and let it go out from the other!

Correct.....it is us....we are Indians.....we are like that....I also try to help people at times, even giving medical advice if I have practical experience on that particular illness or know something about it from books.....we Indians inherit this helping nature and are proud of it... But also there are many helpful people in this world but we form a large chunk of it

I don't think Indians are the only one's giving unsolicited advice. It is part of everyone's nature to have a courteous conversation. I don't recall some of my friends or myself giving unsolicited advice to a total stranger. But, when we do start up a conversation that advice we give becomes part of our continuous conversation.

I also think Indians have the ideology of being friendly and treating people like an extended family.

I guess, giving unsolicited advices have a background of our joint family systems. Members of the family, particularly elders, tend to give advices (or directions, orders, reprimands???)to other members of the family out of concern, love and affection to those who are close to a person giving such advices.

Sadanand

Although any sort of genetic racial tendency this is highly suspect, in this instance I'd have to say that it is true.

It is inherited from Uncle.








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Just to clarify:

My example happened to be "medical" ... though advise can be got on Any Subject ... which school to put your kids in, how to live life, what subjects to Major in, how to get a job, how to solve a problem, how to handle husbands, when to have your 2nd child, where to buy something? .... etc. etc.

Also, I am not pre-judging Advise-Giving (as good or bad) ... though so far responses seem to consider it generally a good and welcome thing

Another observation: In my personal experience, I have found advise not easily available overseas ..... Even when I sorely wanted it ...... and even if I asked for it .... At the most I would get a "Hmmmmmmm ... You Might want to do this .... or maybe that ..." But rarely, a clear-cut straight-forward, honest unilataeral advise (unless he was also an Indian abroad).

Someone once told me that if someone tells you something or gives advice always say thank you. That was from an Indian too. Doesn't matter what you do with it but always say thank you.

Candyji

Indians give unsolicited advice for many seen and unseen reasons. If anything is told to an Indian as a complaint, query, inquisitiveness, opinion...he/she takes it up as a moral responsibility

1) To help...

2) If not help share his/her own experience...

3) If not share to show compassion....

4) If not compassion to convince...

5) If not convince then successfully confuse...

6) People confused him/her, time to get back

And last but not the least, the indispensable need to show his/her knowledge on every topic that exists or that can be fabricated with ease on earth. That’s the way to be a God’s child, they were told ever since their childhood and it includes me too, quite unregretfully!!

Amyth .... a good one ... you had me in splits there

Thanks! Well...you asked for some "SOLICITED" (even better) advice and I happen to be an Indian !!

You'll make a great Uncle, Amyth!

Or Aunty .... BTW: Indian Aunties give more advise