The first rule of consulting (and other things)

[drwex]

Shamelessly stolen from a friend who's a lifelong consultant, runs his own company, etc:

This is the First Law of Consulting:

You can't stop people from sticking beans up their noses.

If someone is intent in sticking a bean up their nose, no amount of discussion or argument will convince them to do otherwise. The bean will go up the nose and the best you can do, as a consultant, is wait until it's over and ask, "So, how is that working for you?"

I'm thinking this rule also applies to certain aspects of friendships and relationships, not to mention parenting.