Just Because It Worked for Someone Else Doesn’t Mean It’s Right for You

In the week since I’ve returned from walking the Camino in Portugal and Spain, my social media has been packed with advice about walking the Camino. What to pack, what to wear, which shoes are best, which backpack I need, whether to use poles and an endless assortment of other things I apparently can’t live without.

I welcomed some of this advice when I was preparing for my trip in September. Back then, it was only a few posts a day. Now it’s an avalanche of posts, emails and advertisements. Apparently, the algorithms know I was interested in walking the Camino but haven’t figured out that I’ve already walked it!

All of the Advice I Never Wanted

And surely, with everything they know about me, they could find something else to recommend. Perhaps another long-distance walk? Instead, they seem determined to equip me for a journey I’ve already completed.

Some of the advice is sensible, but much of it is contradictory. Wear hiking boots. Don’t wear hiking boots. Use walking poles. Don’t use walking poles. Will somebody please make up their mind?

What bothers me isn’t necessarily the advice itself. It’s the authority with which it’s delivered. So many recommendations are presented as absolute truths, with little consideration for the person receiving them.

Having now walked the Camino myself, I can see how misleading some of this advice can be. Much of it is marketing disguised as helpful recommendations. Other suggestions reflect someone’s personal experience, which may have very little relevance to another pilgrim.

Someone carrying everything on their back needs different equipment from someone using luggage transfer. Someone sleeping in shared pilgrim accommodation has different needs from someone booking private rooms. And someone’s favourite walking shoes might be disastrous for another person’s feet.

We’re all different, and there are many ways to walk a Camino. The same applies to almost every kind of travel.

When Someone Else’s Experience Becomes Our Advice

Travel is a wonderful example, but this goes well beyond holidays and walking adventures. We’re constantly exposed to advice about retirement, health, relationships, finances, exercise and how we should spend our time. Much of it comes from people who genuinely believe they’re being helpful. But what worked for them may be completely wrong for someone else.

At our age, with decades of experience behind us, why do we sometimes give more weight to a stranger’s advice than to our own judgment?

We’re told what makes a happy retirement, how much exercise we should do, whether we should downsize, and even how we should age. Everyone seems to have an opinion, and plenty of people are happy to tell us what we should be doing.

There’s nothing wrong with listening. We might discover something useful or learn about an approach we hadn’t considered. But listening doesn’t mean we have to follow instructions.

And I’m certainly not suggesting we ignore qualified experts or evidence-based recommendations, particularly when it comes to our health and safety. There’s a considerable difference between professional guidance and someone’s personal preference presented as a universal truth.

Making My Own Decisions

I spent months preparing for my Camino. I researched the route, considered equipment and made decisions based on my abilities, concerns and what I wanted to experience.

I also changed my mind quite a few times. As I learned more, I adjusted my plans. Some things I originally thought were essential turned out to be unnecessary, while others became more important.

I listened to advice, but I made my own decisions.

And now that I’m home, one subject in particular is driving me crazy: walking poles.

Apparently, according to the endless advertisements and recommendations, no sensible pilgrim should leave home without them. Well, I did.

Walking poles remind me of candy. Some people love chocolate, others prefer licorice, and some happily eat both. Walking poles are much the same. Some people love them, others don’t, and some aren’t sure until they’ve tried them. Yet the advice often makes them sound absolutely essential.

What I discovered on the Camino was that many pilgrims decided they didn’t want their poles after all. Some left them behind at their accommodation, where other pilgrims could take them. There were poles available in guesthouses and hostels along the way.

Funny how that little detail doesn’t feature prominently in advertisements encouraging everyone to buy a pair!

I’m not suggesting that walking poles are useless. They can be extremely helpful, particularly on difficult terrain, where I used them. But whether they’re a necessary purchase depends on the person, the route, and the circumstances.

When Advice Becomes Too Much

The sheer volume of information available today can turn a relatively simple decision into an enormous undertaking. We research, compare, read reviews, watch videos and seek opinions. Then we find another article contradicting everything we’ve just learned, and we’re back where we started.

During my Camino, I occasionally saw pilgrims struggling under enormous backpacks or wearing clothing that looked terribly uncomfortable. I wondered whether they’d followed advice that simply wasn’t right for them.

Perhaps they’d never done anything like this before and trusted someone who sounded knowledgeable. It’s understandable. When we’re trying something unfamiliar, we naturally look to people with experience. But there’s a difference between learning from someone else’s experience and assuming their choices should become ours.

The challenge is recognizing when we’ve gathered enough information to make a decision, based on our own needs, preferences and circumstances. We don’t have to research everything to death. Sometimes our own common sense deserves a little more attention.

And as for my continuing avalanche of Camino advice? I’ve finally done something about it. I spent over an hour unsubscribing and unfollowing Camino and European travel accounts.

Apparently, even getting rid of unwanted advice takes time!

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Let’s Have a Conversation:

What advice do you follow when traveling, buying products, and simply living in retirement? Do you count on professional advice most of all? How do you make sure your decisions are the best possible for you and your circumstances?