Anybody else annoyed by the advice that when you are unsure how to act, you should do what the average person or other people do?

I've seen this in self-help books, advice from doctors, and even suggestions from well-meaning friends: When in doubt, do what others do.

Sorry, but that's a stupid advice! This is the opposite of the advice that is so familiar to us all, the one where a parent tells a kid who wants to do something dangerous only because other kids are doing it, "If they did X, would you do it too?" The X is something that the parent hopes the child would not want to do (e.g., jumping off the bridge).

Anyhow, so first off, who is this "average person" we are supposed to learn from? Depending on where you live, the average person (or other people) will behave differently.

Second, do you really think it's a good idea to look at other people for deciding what you should do in a situation that stresses you? So often in life, it's blind leading the blind. Other people don't hold some magic key. They do things out of habit. Often times they do them mindlessly.

I much prefer to have role models than to behave by looking left and right and following what the majority do in a situation.