Golfer – I wasn’t poskening halacha. I was giving personal advice, something I am qualified to do at least in certain circumstances. As someone who has been learning and teaching for many years, I can often sense when advice is needed as opposed to a halachic psak.
The Rav whom I quoted is not a posek – he is someone who is qualified to give advice as I am, only he is slightly older and more experienced than I am. When I am in a situation where I think it is important to give someone advice and I have to decide what and how to say to them, I often do think about how my mentors have advised me and the hashkafic worldview that I have learned from them and use that as a basis for deciding how to advise others. This is what anyone in a teaching/mentoring position should be doing.
I was not “having fun” when I answered her question. I answered her question because I felt that it was extremely important that I answer her in the way that I did. I thought very carefully about every word that I wrote and there were reasons for every word.
Enough said. I can not explain any further.