If you could have anyone to advise you throughout your life who would it be and why?

Socrates. Rumor has it he was a smart dude.

Howard Stern

Morgan Freeman a.k.a. (self-described) Mr. Gravitas because I admire his work so much, and he seems to be a very candid, caring person.

I would go with my father. I respect my father, and I look up to him. He’s never steered me wrong, and every time that I have ignored his advice, I’ve usually regretted it too.

If I had to go with a historical figure, and there was no language barrier between us, I’d go with Socrates like Shadling.

If I could go with fictional characters…I’d go with Spock from Star Trek, pure logic.

I have met several wise people in my life. My old boss at the radio station was wise, and I have learnt a lot from him (and I don’t mean professionally, he gave me a lot of advice about life, family and relationships). I also had an amazingly educated and intelligent professor at university whom I spent a lot of time with.
Out of the more famous figures, I guess (especially know) I would be seeking the wisdom of Mahatma Ghandi. It is the type of wisdom I need, as I am waging a war against all odds, just like he did.

God, He is my mentor and guide.

I think my sister and I do a pretty good job of advising each other as we both move through life. If I had to go with a well known figure it would be Natalie Goldberg, she could advise me on trying to live my life in a more Zen way, and mentor me as a writer.

@pekenoe Me too, God bless you brother.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Frost, Audrey Hepburn, or Alex Jones ^_^

Kermit the Frog. He’s got the best outlook on life, and he gives very good advice – although, I guess that means I’d really want Jim Henson, since he’s the Man Behind the Frog…

Fred Rogers would be my second choice – I already use the things I learned from him as a kid pretty much every day – I can’t even imagine the great advice he could give to an adult…

the Dalai Lama seems to have pretty solid advice despite what faith if any you follow.

Leonardo da Vinci, Carl Sagan, and H.P. Lovecraft. They are my heroes for a reason.

Carl Sagan may have been a good populariser of astrophysics and related subjects, but he was a personal scuzz. We both worked at the same observatory before he left for Cornell.

At lunchtime, he used to scuttle off with his young secretary. Soon thereafter, he dumped his wife and married another woman. Then he eventually dumped her for a woman author who was doing a media project on him

Great question lynneblundell! Do we have more than one choice?

Gosh, for me so many….Mother Theresa, the Dalai Lama, all the prophets of old, Suzy Orman (he he), Einstein…I need a few hours to get my list together

If only one person, I still need a few hours…

Aphrodite. If she were to fall in love with me, I’d be able to write anything!

@daloon: Wouldn’t you rather have Athena for wisdom? Too much sex makes Jack a dull boy.

@gailcalled: Are you kidding!!!???

I’d trade in my brains for all the sex I can handle the rest of my life any day! Who needs to be smart when you’re getting laid?

Me.

@RandomMrdan – Good point. I completely forgot about the language barrier.

@gailcalled – Wow… You have dirt on Carl Sagan? What else did you learn about the guy?

@RandomMrdan I’ve been thinking about Mr. Spock as an adviser. But wasn’t one of the points to that was that pure logic is not the answer to most human problems? I dunno I was not a huge fan, so just wondering if thats right or not.

Rather than go historic, and note I am an historian) I would go to someone a generation or 2 above mine, Someone from the past like Socrates or Dickens would be looking at life through a different cultural prism and would have very little to say to a modern woman beyond “Get a husband”.

Of course an imaginary advisor’s (kermit, Spock etal)thoughts are your own thoughts.

Probably you should stick to someone who knows you who can advise you to work to your strengths. Like Random, my advisor was my Dad and he was smart enough to know it was a full time job in the beginning because at some time I would be on my own.

BTW avoid seeking advice from anyone who keeps getting his brain caught in his zipper——Whassup, Daloon?

@LKidKyle1985 It’s true, pure logic isn’t always the answer to every question in a human’s life…but it’s nice to have the logical assessment to any situation and go on your instinct knowing the odds for or against you.

oh, and Spock is half human, and has the ability to use a bit of emotion aside from pure logic. And captain Kirk doesn’t always listen to Spock on his advice either, just like you can take it for what it is, and just disregard.

Touche sir. well put

Spock is IMAGINARY!! (So is Santa) I apologize if anyone under the age of 8 is onsite.

lol so what, “If I could go with fictional characters…I’d go with Spock from Star Trek, pure logic.”
We are well aware of his fictionality, along with Santas. :P

What he said ^

@galileogirl So is taking advice from dead people!

Hunter S. Thompson…the non sequiturs alone HAVE to be worth it.

You can look to the writings of dead people for advice, that is what most religious people do. There is no Big Book of Muppet Memories. I prefer discussion with my advisor.

@galileogirl Though I don’t think that’s what Lynne meant when she asked the question! Fictional characters are fun answers to fantasy-based, hypothetical questions, no?

Honestly? Probably my husband.

@Nimis There is always a place for REAL answers, too. no?

@galileogirl They’re all REAL answers.
Just some of them aren’t about real people. =)

JUST TO CLEAR SOMETHING UP… I don’t mind who or what anyone would like to choose.. be it a rock in central park, Descartes, Iggle Piggle and His Ninky Nonk, Madonna, Your pet goldfish, George Bush or Jane Eyre… The more variants on matter thought and body the better… but i have to say…

@galileogirl I personally think that there are a lot of things that have stayed the same in terms of the society that we live in, in comparison to Dickens’ time. I also believe that Dickens was probably one man of many (or a few depending on your frame of mind) that understood the plight of women in particular relevance to the reason why i chose him, poverty, religion and politics… to mention but a few subjects worth advising on. And that’s not taking into account the timelessness of his philosophy on life in general.

I don’t really need anyone – I have fluther :D

But otherwise, I think I would want Obama. Like seriously, how comforting would that be?

@gailcalled, say what you want about Sagan, he still remains one of my heroes. I take the reports of his sexual excesses with skepticism. Sagan might have slept around and kicked a wife out of the house, but Jesus (did anyone say Jesus as an advisor?) never got married and all he ever did was run around with a bunch of guys in dresses. oh shit, this is definitely going to bring the wrath of the religious flutherers down on my pointed widdle head

@Zebra; You are entitled to feel any way you want about Carl Sagan. I did say that he was a very good popularizer of astrophysics and related subjects.

What does his sexual excesses have to do with good advice (and Jesus, I might add?)
And be as skeptical as you please, even though Sagan did sleep around and dump two wives. That is fact. He also was famous and richer than most astronomers. That is also fact. If you see yourself as having a “pointed widdle head,” that’s your prerogative also.

@Mcbealer You stole my answer lol. I was going to say definitely Morgan Freeman.

@Zebra: I said Jesus. I’m including him in prophets of old.

I think this question is so subjective that there can’t be a wrong answer, just interesting ones, right Lynneblundell?

Everyone looks up to others as worthy of advising based on their own interests, fantasies, etc. On that note, I’d like to include Wilma Flintstone, because she always seemed to have her head on her shoulders, while Fred was always reaching for the stars or trying to get out of the quarry

@Siren nope…no wrong answers here me thinks :-) and excellent choice too!!

I think I might also go for… If I could have my 2 year old son as himself a 22 year old now to give me an insight into how his experiences and the way I bring him up will have had an effect on him…he would be able to advise me from his perspective..something I’d love to be able to completely immerse myself in…. his consciousness. (And also to do the impossible and kind of vicariously experience the consciousness of a child’s brain and how they view the world perhaps….) hmmm another question brewing…

Barack Obama
He did what he wanted to do & couldn’t be stopped

My granddad.

Albus Dumbledore!