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Why You Shouldn’t Trust Advice from People Who Don’t Bleed When They’re Wrong
Most people giving advice have no skin in your outcome. Here’s how to filter the ones worth listening to; and become one yourself.
A few years ago, I was following a popular finance influencer online. Slick branding, 7-figure headlines, endless posts about “freedom.” I took one of their investment tips; a small real estate syndication. The deal went sideways within six months. They walked away untouched. I lost five grand.
That’s when I realized: they were playing a different game. One where they collected attention and fees. I was the one carrying the risk.
Skin in the Game is Taleb’s brutal reminder: if someone doesn’t bear the downside of their decisions, their advice is cheap at best, dangerous at worst.
We live in a world flooded with content. Everyone has a hot take. But most of it comes from people who never have to live with the consequences of being wrong.
The core idea is simple: don’t trust people who don’t pay a price for their opinions.
This applies everywhere:
A fitness guru selling courses but never training clients in person
A startup coach who’s never shipped a product
A politician insulated from the policies they enforce
A podcaster preaching about quitting your job…..while they’re still on payroll
Taleb’s point isn’t to dismiss theory. It’s to distrust detached theory, ideas that come with zero consequence if they fail.
He calls it the “Intellectual Yet Idiot” problem: educated, persuasive people who optimize for prestige or applause, not real-world outcomes.
And it’s not just about avoiding bad advice. It’s about changing how you evaluate your own decisions too.
Do you talk about risk… or absorb it?
Do your routines reflect your values… or your branding?
Do you optimize for likes… or lived experience?
This book strips away the illusion of expertise and forces you to look at incentives. Not words. Not polish. But who eats the downside.
When you shift your identity toward being someone who carries their own weight, a few things happen:
You stop outsourcing judgment to people who won't suffer with you.
You start respecting people who quietly execute instead of loudly preach.
You begin playing a long game that rewards integrity, not image.
The reset is this:
If they don’t lose when they’re wrong, don’t listen. If you don’t lose when you’re wrong, you won’t grow.
Actionable Tip
Run a Skin in the Game audit:
Pick 3 areas in your life where you’re taking advice (health, money, work).
For each one, ask: If this person is wrong, what do they lose?
If the answer is “nothing,” reconsider how much weight you give them.
Also ask: If I’m wrong in this decision, do I bear the cost?
If not, maybe you’re not really committed.
Reflection Question
Where in your life are you taking advice from people who have nothing to lose if they’re wrong?
Get the Book
If this post challenged how you think about credibility, you’ll love Skin in the Game. Taleb goes even deeper into why real wisdom comes from people who put their neck on the line. It’s sharp, contrarian, and will permanently change how you judge advice.
👉 Get the book here
Recommended Reading
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