circular reasoning?

Fortune cookie messages are fun. I never put any stock in them, but it's always interesting to hear what little nuggets of wisdom are crammed inside of mass-produced cookies.

The other day, however, I found one that was slightly puzzling...perhaps the first fortune cookie message I can agree with...or maybe the one that throws the whole industry out of whack.

It says, "Ask advice, but use your own common sense."

Doesn't that seem like self-fulfilling prophecy? Or a self-defeating contradiction? If I could truly trust my common sense, why would I need to consult a fortune cookie to tell me so (assuming fortune cookies are a form of advice)? Does this mean I no longer need even to entertain the possibility of trusting another fortune cookie message in the future? Have I just read my last fortune cookie message? If I'm the type of person who truly does need advice on regular occasions, do I trust a fortune cookie message that tells me I can actually trust my own common sense? What if my common sense tells me I need to ask advice?

Now I'm stuck, you see. Who thought this particular message was a good idea?