Every time I open the pages of my local newspaper, I make a certain promise to myself: do not read the advice column. I even fold back the page to make sure I don’t see it. Occasionally, though, I catch a glimpse at the headline by accident. From there, it’s downhill. I can’t help but read how John Doe hates his neighbors because they didn’t give back his hedge clippers, or how Jane Smith is at her wit’s end about convincing her 24 year old son to move out of the house.

With crisp and curt language, an advice columnist’s solutions to problems always make me laugh. I think that if I tried to quote an advice column, I would receive a dirty look and a sarcastic reply (speaking from experience). I also believe that advice columnists from around the world refer to a secret “Advice Bedford Handbook,” with tested situational quotes such as “maybe you should tell them how you feel.”

To altruists, reading an advice column allows people to learn from the problems of others. To me, reading advice columns feels similar to hearing gossip. In spite of this, advice columns have an allure that may be familiar to many of us: a curiosity about others compared to ourselves. Some of us experience this attraction as we compare grades or gossip about friends, maybe even on a daily basis. Advice columns seem driven by attention-grabbing headlines and absurd situations, perhaps owing to their popularity.

By recognizing the subconscious appeal we have for these guilty pleasures, we can step back and view our actions in a different perspective. While some may be innocent enough, others can contradict our own standards and morals without us even realizing. Of course, we can glean valuable lessons from advice columns if we truly learn from the mistakes of others instead of laughing at them (though admittedly, the story I read of a grown man who refuses to move out of his parents’ house sounds like the pilot of a sitcom).

Regarding my own love-hate relationship with advice columns, I feel that the best fix is to stop reading the newspaper altogether. Given, though, that my solution would cut off a large part of my world awareness, as well as garner a raised eyebrow from my Journalism advisor, I think I need a little advice on this one.