Not every piece of advice is meant for you. Your financial goals and timeline are unique. Learning to filter advice is the first step to smart money management.

Man on phone call while analyzing stock chart on laptop, representing the risk of following financial advice blindly.

When Listening Can Be Dangerous: Finding Your Own Money Game

“My friend made a fortune on Bitcoin. Should I jump in too?”
Or, “My coworker doubled their money on a trending stock—am I missing out?”

We’ve all had these thoughts. Advice is everywhere, and success stories often sound like shortcuts to wealth.
But here’s what I’ve learned the hard way: Not all advice is meant for your game.

Same Market, Totally Different Games

In The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel writes,
“People play different games in the same market.”
That line stuck with me—because it’s true.

Let’s say you’re steadily investing $300/month into an index fund for retirement.
Meanwhile, your friend is jumping in and out of Bitcoin or meme stocks trying to make quick gains.
Even though you're both in “the market,” your timelines, goals, and risks are completely different.
And if you take advice based on someone else’s strategy, you’ll likely end up out of sync with your own goals.

When I Followed the Wrong Advice

A few years ago, I acted on a tip from a friend who had scored big from a hyped-up stock on Reddit.
“It’s a no-brainer,” he said. I bought a similar one—even though I wasn’t playing the same game.
He sold within days for a quick profit. I held on for months, hoping it would climb again. It didn’t.
The result? Stress, loss, and a hard lesson: Same asset, different rules.

What Game Are You Really Playing?

Here’s how your situation might define your “money game”:

If you’re a few years into your career and still carrying student loan debt, you’re not chasing short-term thrills—you’re stabilizing your foundation. That means predictable, long-term investing is your lane.
If you live at home and don’t pay rent, you’ve got a rare window. You could invest aggressively, or build a serious emergency fund before independence hits.
If you freelance and your income changes every month, your biggest financial win isn’t market returns—it’s peace of mind. Your game might be all about cash flow and saving for lean months.

Don’t Just Take Advice—Filter It

Harvard Business Review once said,
“In an age of too much information, judgment matters more than information itself.” (Source: HBR, 2021)

It’s tempting to act on someone else’s confidence.
But when it comes to money, you need to ask:

Does this person have a similar financial life to mine?
Are they investing for the same reason I am?
Can I handle the risk that comes with this advice?

If the answer is no, then that advice might be useful—for them, but not for you.

Build a Strategy That’s Yours

Instead of thinking, “What should I buy?”
Ask, “What am I trying to achieve?”
The more clearly you define your own timeline, goals, and risk tolerance, the more confident—and less reactive—you’ll become.

You don’t need to chase every headline.
You don’t need to play every game.
You just need to know which one you’re playing.