I think for starters is to realize there is a lot of contradicting life advice. Then the other thing is wether people follow the advice they give others.
There is a Carl Jung quote:
> Only the paradox comes anywhere near to comprehending the fullness of life.
Personally for me, understanding life is understanding the pros/cons of every scenario.
The pros and cons of short term thinking.
The pros and cons of long term thinking.
The trade offs between both. There are trade offs in everything we do. Understanding them, and accepting them is important.