How do you motivate and guide a young adult who thinks he/she knows it all, yet is headed in the wrong direction?

From personal experience I can tell you that it would probably be better to step back and let the person succeed or fail. At twenty there is plenty of time to regroup. One of the silliest things I ever did was to push and pull my kid through college.It was the second worst financial mistake of my life.

Between us we wasted $100,000. Now I realize that I should have kept silent and let him go and get a job flipping burgers or something. We would both have been happier.

Maybe it is just different. Young people find ways to innovate in old markets now and again and it tends to pay off. That said, the chances of such success are certainly pretty low when up against all the old artful dodgers.

It sounds like you should try a different approach in presenting your ideas; I suggest taking an interest in THEIR ideas, complimenting the positive aspects first, then lightly brushing on the risks. If they are receptive and you are communicating that you care well enough, they just may open up to you. However, the chances of that can, from time to time, also be slim.

Unfortunately, sometimes children have to get burned to learn fire is hot or that you really can't buy property on the moon. It happens, and is part of life, so the best thing to do in that situation would be to stay supportive and keep the "I-told-you-so"s to the bare necessary minimum. I believe these cases cover everything.

In guiding others, all you can really do is suggest, push, and pull. It's up to them whether or not to listen, fight, or cooperate.

First, I think you are way too concerned. Most people are like that at that age. He/she is not into drugs and not into illegal activities.

Second, experience is the best teacher. Let him/her try. They might fail, but they might succeed.

Story is filled with people who went against the advice of people "in the know" and did things their own way successfully (I know, I wrote a book on the subject). Third, be supportive. It is easy to criticize but support is more likely to be listened too.

You don't have to support their choices, but you don't have to tell them they are screwing up either. If you don't agree, don't say anything. Offer you advice, but don't get upset when it is not listened to.

Eventually, the person may see you were right on their own. If not, you tried. You cannot control another person's actions.

They have to be able to do their own thing.

At 20 years of age, you can only pull, not push a young adult. This renders standard parenting techniques largely useless. It is unlikely a helicopter parent hovering in to hold hands and help out is going to be able to improve the situation.

A good manager at any one of the organizations or companies with whom she comes in contact might be able to take on a mentor role and guide her. However, nothing is going to move her until she's ready to be moved. Strew her path with opportunities to see the advantages of diligence and hard work and then settle in for a long wait till she learns to take advantage of them.

Chill... I can think of some far less productive things for a twenty-year-old to be chasing than start-up ventures. He can always get a normal job or finish college later if they don't work out; it would not be the end of the world. They might just also be successful.

The guy who's responsible for this forum you're posting on has done quite well for himself with start-up companies. I have a feeling that his net worth would be nowhere near what it is today is his parents had succeeded in crushing his entrepreneurial spirit and convinced him to go to work in an accountancy firm or become a doctor. Ask yourself honestly whether the path that you're trying to steer him from is truly the wrong path, or if it is just the wrong path for you.

If it's the latter, stop and let him make his own career choices, as any twenty-year-old should be permitted to do.

In my experience, the best way for someone to realize they've made a mistake is to actually make it! And who knows... Maybe the "start-up dreams" will actually lead to success. It's hard to watch someone you care about make seemingly bad decisions, but besides giving them your personal advice/telling them about your own experiences, there's not a whole lot you can/should do!

Kick them out and let them fail. And who knows maybe they don't.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.