Alan Titchmarsh: What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of…

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

Recorded Alan Titchmarsh said elsewhere, not written here

I wish school career advisers were more aware of horticulture. They imagine it's just going out into public parks and pulling weeds up, not a career. But there is garden design, horticultural research, conservation – a whole gamut of angles which are overlooked.

Vanessa Thorpe, This much I know, The Observer, 22 June 2013 source ↗

Others on this question

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John Lewis U.S. Representative from Georgia, 1987–2020; Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee 1963–1966

I would come home and ask my mother, my father, my grandparents, my great-grandparents, 'Why?'. And they would say, 'That's the way it is. Don't get in the way, don't get in trouble!'

Recorded Emory University Quadrangle, Atlanta, Speakola (speech transcript archive), 12 May 2014 source ↗

Michael Phelps United States swimmer, 2000–2016

I think it's something that nobody's really talked about in the past because we're supposed to be this big, macho, strong person that has no weaknesses. You know, we're supposed to be perfect.

Recorded CBS News, 25 January 2018 source ↗

Hiroshi Mikitani Founder, chairman and chief executive of Rakuten

When I asked for advice on how to start such a business, many senior executives told me, "You can't possibly succeed doing what big companies have failed to do."

Recorded Rakuten Group, Inc. source ↗

Alex Honnold Rock climber; first person to free solo El Capitan

No. I mean, yeah, I drink some protein stuff. But in general, I think protein—I don’t want to say it’s a myth—but I think it’s a little overhyped by various lobbies and industries and things like that.

Recorded Matthew Roberson, GQ, 23 January 2026 source ↗