Over the past two days I, due to being sick in bed and tired of sleeping, watched the first and second seasons of "Sex in the City" for the first time. I have a newfound sense of relief that tells me to thank goodness I do not read advice columns religiously.

The main character, Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, bothers me.

First of all, the woman writes an advice column for her newspaper in Manhattan about sex and relationships, tackling new ideas about the two topics and giving her utmost thought-out advice.

What’s so bothersome about this? Bradshaw can’t keep a single relationship going without having multiple breakdowns. If she can’t even involve herself in a relationship, what makes her such a reputable source for advice?

In a recent discussion, my cousin said she would rather get her advice from an “expert” than someone like Carrie Bradshaw, who conjures up an opinion and then applies it like it is advice.

On one hand, it makes complete sense that someone who has done much research, and is perhaps “certified” in a topic, should be giving us our advice. On the other hand, maybe an advice columnist should serve not as an expert, but as a friend.

When we ask our friends for advice, we don’t expect them to have a well-researched answer — we merely want the benefits of their human, not expert, experience, whether that experience is a failure or a success.

Can someone who has failed at what we are trying to do advise us on how to do it?