Why do some people ask for advice but never follow through?
"People don’t value what’s easily available"
I’ve been thinking about this for a while and want outside opinions.
Back in college, I was very focused on building a career in IT/cybersecurity. Before even starting post-grad, I already had around 2 years of experience, certifications, personal projects/blogs, and was actively learning.
Some of my friends were also interested and I encouraged them to study with me, train together, and focus on long-term career growth. But most of them prioritized part-time jobs and short-term income instead. (I did help with their college assignments too)
Fast forward a few years: I stayed consistent, worked hard, and now I’m doing work in my field. Meanwhile, some of those same friends are still working the same jobs from college and often complain about being stuck and not finding better opportunities in Canada.
The confusing part is that I’ve tried helping multiple times over the years. I’ve offered guidance, study plans, referrals, interview prep, and even at one point offered a friend free rent/food if they wanted to move in temporarily and focus on learning full-time.
Usually they seem interested at first, but eventually lose focus or come up with reasons they can’t continue.
So my question is: why do some people genuinely want change, but still resist help or avoid taking action? Is there a better way to support people like this, or do you eventually have to accept that people only change when they’re personally ready?
