Thanks for the replies everyone!

But certainly asking others their opinions or what they would do isn't in itself a bad thing... I wouldn't like people to isolate themselves from the village even more thinking they can't put it out there in order to compare or feel validated.
I totally agree. I think some validation is necessary to help people feel included and supported. After all, we turn to each other in times of need, often because a situation is beyond our own resources. I think though it should be a goal to also help people work through their issue in a non-judgmental way, instead of always patting people on the back and saying "never mind"...which is what I think often happens.