Advice is usually ignored unless it is sought after
Have you ever tried to give someone free advice? Ever tried to expound on your own personal philosophy? Notice how, almost without exception, they acted bored, half-acknowledged everything you said?
The human mind is a complex entity. One of the zillions of things it does - arguably one of the most important - is self-defense. It examines what comes in. If a piece of data - say, some platitude about life - does not mesh with what it is presently thinking about or doing, that data will be filed away as useless information or idiotic blather or just plain wrong or some similar category.
Another function of the mind is more diagnostic in nature. The mind is capable of varying degrees of self repair. If it becomes confused about how to handle something, it may seek guidance from others. When you are asking someone for advice on how to deal with your significant other, you are much more likely to listen to what that person advises than if you are merely discussing your s/o without appearing to need advice.
This is why Jehova's Witnesses get the door slammed in their faces so often. People are generally not looking to get "fixed" by motivated strangers.
Here are some of the variables that will modify a person's receptivity to your advice:
- Familiarity with you.
- Affinity for the subject of discourse.
- Current thought patterns and how closely they do or do not align with what you are talking about.
- General mental state.
- Past advice you have given, how much sense it made, whether or not it worked if it was followed.
- The third person factor. People respond to us differently when there are multiple people within earshot than they do when there are only two people who can hear what is being said.