# Common, supposedly practical advice you'd been in trouble if you took **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 28, 2012, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213 "2012-04-28T07:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213/21 "2012-05-02T03:17:06Z")
> [@SticksAndString](#): > > “If you ignore the bully, they’ll quit bothering you.” > > If I had a nickle for every time a teacher told me this throughout my school career I would’ve been a millionaire before I graduated high school. Ignoring the bullies never seemed to work because they would just work harder to try and see how far they could push me before I’d break and lash out at them. This is another one I was thinking about. Do people who say this hate children, or were their childhoods so charmed that they never dealt with bullies themselves? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213/22 "2012-05-02T14:56:41Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > This is another one I was thinking about. Do people who say this hate children, or were their childhoods so charmed that they never dealt with bullies themselves? On some bullies it works, if you can show no reaction whatsoever. I was picked on a lot as a kid and it worked for me, but I was not getting beat up or physically harassed. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213/23 "2012-05-02T16:22:32Z")
> [@SticksAndString](#): > > “If you ignore the bully, they’ll quit bothering you.” > > If I had a nickle for every time a teacher told me this throughout my school career I would’ve been a millionaire before I graduated high school. Ignoring the bullies never seemed to work because they would just work harder to try and see how far they could push me before **I’d break and lash out at them**. I understand what you’re saying, but you did not actually ignore them. You taught them to be even more persistent. And I’m sorry you were bullied. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213/24 "2012-05-02T17:16:53Z")
> [@Sister\_Vigilante](#): > > If you can’t sleep, get out of bed and go do something else. > > No. If I can’t sleep, the very least I can do is cuddle in the dark under some covers with my eyes closed. If I get up I just end up less tired than I was before. Although I have found that if I go to bed an hour later, I fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. So I might as well just change my bedtime. I’ve been hearing lately that waking up at night is natural and that a two stage sleep cycle is a normal mode of sleeping for humans. > **[Waking up throughout the night is natural: Experts](https://ca.style.yahoo.com/blogs/shine-on/waking-throughout-night-natural-experts-144326799.html)** > > We've all done it. Unable to get back to sleep after being woken up in the middle of the night by a partner's snoring or anxiety over a big presentation the next day, we watch the minutes tick by, getting … Continue reading → Usually if I can’t get right back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night I’ll turn on the tv for an hour or so and then turn it off and I can usually fall right back to sleep. I put the tv on the Game Show Network and usually late at night is when the old time game shows are on, like Match Game 74 and Richard Dawson era Family Fued, and it’s fun to watch those. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213/25 "2012-05-02T17:49:30Z")
I was lifting weight one time, bench press, and I went to remove the 45lb weight from the bar. I forgot about the 10lb weight sitting on the outside of the 45, so when I removed the 45 the 10 dropped straight down onto my toes (I was wearing leather cross trainers). After dealing with the pain for a couple minutes I suddenly heard every sports coach I’ve ever had - “Run it off” “Shake it off” etc. So I went for a couple laps thinking this must be good advice, I’d been told it so many times. When I was done running my toes still hurt, I took off my shoe and my sock was soaked in blood. I hadn’t broken my big toe but the nail was a goner and the doc said I damaged the area that produces nails so it would grow ugly/not well for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213/26 "2012-05-02T18:38:25Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > . . . I hadn’t broken my big toe but the nail was a goner and the doc said I damaged the area that produces nails so it would grow ugly/not well for a long time. Pass the brain bleach please. . . :eek::eek::eek: ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213/27 "2012-05-05T00:01:58Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > I hadn’t broken my big toe but the nail was a goner and the doc said I damaged the area that produces nails so it would grow ugly/not well for a long time. How long did it take to get better? I was trying to break a branch off a log when it snapped back and smashed into my thumb. After a couple of minutes I got brave enough to take my glove off, and it was a bloody mess too. The nail didn’t grow right after that for about 8 months. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213/28 "2012-05-05T00:12:20Z")
You can trust the police Do what you love and the money will follow Getting married is a good idea ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213/29 "2012-05-05T00:22:31Z")
> [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](#): > > There is the old saying about feeding a fever and starving a cold. I’ve always interpreted this to mean that you’re supposed to eat a lot when you have a fever and drink a lot when you have a cold. Instinctively, it seems sensible. I have a mental idea of cups of tea washing away the cold, and (wave hands) something about prawn cocktail shitting out fevers. But according to the internet it’s just nonsense. Lies. > > “It doesn’t matter how you look, what matters is how you are on the inside?” To which I say: Gary Busey. He has much wisdom to share with the world, judging by his Twitter feed. “_Running backwards naked through a cornfield at midnight will show you where you’ve been_”. That was one of his. “_Romance = **R** elying **O** n **M** agnificent **A** nd **N** ecessary **C** ompatible **E** nergy_”. Another one. Do you have any idea how aggravating it was to embolden those letters? It was very aggravating. I didn’t have to do it, but I did, because I’m better than you. But, yes. Gary Busey. He has a mind. You wouldn’t expect those thoughts to come from that body, that face. You wouldn’t expect it, which has the effect of making his thoughts seem even more profound - perhaps that’s intentional. But if he was struck mute, and you had way to see into his mind, would you go near him? You’d flee. Straight into the arms - of _Nick Nolte_. > > _Running backwards naked through a cornfield at midnight will show you where you’ve been_ is RBNTACAMWSYWYB. What could it mean? It can’t be an anagram, there aren’t enough vowels. Perhaps if I arrange them into a grid: > > RBNT > ACAM > WSYW > YB > > Damn, doesn’t fit. Five letters, four letters, three letters, doesn’t fit. Circle perhaps? Or some kind of pentagram? Busey’s wisdom confounds polygonal thought. > > But, yes, the other classic is that if someone’s being mean to you, you should bop them in the nose, and from that point they’ll be polite and humble and you’ll be a hero. The problem is that real life is more like _Robocop_ (“Guaranteed military sales! Renovation program! Spare parts for 25 years! You just messed with the wrong guy!”) than _The Karate Kid_. And of course if you go around bopping people on the nose all the time, then _you are the demons_. I think this is excellent advice. Not for me mind you, but excellent advice none the less. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213/30 "2012-05-05T04:03:28Z")
Always cut the red wire. Boy, would that bit of advice have blown up in my face. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-supposedly-practical-advice-youd-been-in-trouble-if-you-took/620213.md?page=1)