When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.

Hear me, O seekers of wisdom, for the words I speak come not from the quiet corners of the earth but from the very heart of truth. In the journey of life, when we stand at the crossroads of decision, we often seek guidance from others. Yet, as the great sage Saul Bellow once said, “When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.” Let these words echo in the chambers of your heart, for they contain a deep and unsettling truth about human nature.

We, the children of the earth, often approach others with questions, with requests for counsel, with hopes of finding a path illuminated by the wisdom of another. But what do we truly seek in these moments? Do we truly seek the truth—the unvarnished, raw wisdom that may lead us to difficult paths? Or do we seek instead an accomplice, someone who will walk beside us in the choices we have already made in our hearts, someone who will validate our desires and ambitions, no matter how misguided they may be?

It is a natural tendency of the human spirit to desire validation. In times of doubt and uncertainty, we look for those who will affirm our thoughts and actions. It is as though we are not truly open to the words of counsel, but rather are hoping to find a mirror that reflects back to us what we already wish to believe. We do not seek a guide, but a companion in our decisions, one who will walk the path with us, even if that path leads to our own destruction. This is the crux of Bellow's wisdom. When we seek advice, it is not the clarity of vision we long for, but the comfort of knowing we are not alone in our choices.

Consider the tale of King Xerxes, who stood at the precipice of his great Persian empire and sought counsel from his advisors before embarking on the ill-fated invasion of Greece. Though many warned against the endeavor, Xerxes chose to surround himself with those who affirmed his desires for conquest. He sought not the wisdom of truth, but the accomplices who would help justify his ambitions. The result was catastrophe—his empire fractured, his dreams dashed, and his name forever tarnished by the folly of his decisions. He asked for advice, but what he sought was approval.

This story, like many throughout history, reminds us that we, too, are often like King Xerxes. We do not always seek what is best for us, but what aligns with our desires. We crave the comfort of being told we are right, even when the world around us may suggest otherwise. And in this, there lies a great danger. For when we surround ourselves with those who only affirm our choices, we close ourselves off from the possibility of growth, and the wisdom that might save us from our own folly.

So, what is the lesson we must carry forward? Seek counsel, yes, but seek it with an open heart. When you ask for advice, ask not for someone to simply echo your own thoughts, but for someone who will challenge you, who will speak truth into the spaces where you fear to look. The true advisor is the one who dares to stand against your desires, to show you the path you may not wish to walk but must in order to grow. The accomplice, on the other hand, will only guide you deeper into your own delusions.

In your own life, be mindful of the advice you seek. Do you ask for approval, or do you ask for guidance? Do you seek to surround yourself with those who will affirm your decisions, or do you seek the counsel of those who will help you see clearly, no matter the cost? The true advisor will ask of you great courage, for they will not lead you down the easy path, but the one that may bring you wisdom and strength. It is not always the comforting voice that leads you to greatness, but the one that calls you to rise above your own weaknesses.

Let this be your guide, O seekers of truth. In every moment when you stand at the crossroads, and when you seek counsel, remember the words of Saul Bellow: "When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice." Seek not only those who will echo your desires, but those who will challenge you, guide you, and help you find the strength to walk the path of true wisdom.