# Favourite Wise sayings to Live your life by! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 3, 2016, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052 "2016-01-03T11:32:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/101 "2016-01-08T13:04:15Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > \*“I cried because I didn’t have shoes, but then I saw a guy walking down the street without any legs.” \* I used to have a poster that said, “I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no class.” And a piece of advice my dad gave me: Don’t get into an asshole contest with a professional. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/102 "2016-01-08T13:17:52Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > I used to have a poster that said, “I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no class.” I once saw a button that said, “I cried because I had no shoes, and then I met someone with no taste.” ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/103 "2016-01-08T13:47:48Z")
Friends do not let friends drive drunk. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/104 "2016-01-08T14:11:41Z")
More recently, Dean Sluyter in his book _Natural Meditation: A Guide to Effortless Meditative Practice_ said: > [@](#): > > One good, concise summary of enlightened behaviour comes, as it happens, from the actor Ryan Gosling: **"If you’re ever in a situation… and you don’t know what to do, just be Bugs. Never be Daffy**" ---
**Author:** ![Haldurson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/51bf81/32.png) [@Haldurson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haldurson)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/105 "2016-01-08T14:36:40Z")
I don’t know the origin of this one, but I learned it from a former boss, and then passed it on to others that worked for or with me: “It’s easier to apologize than to get permission.” I use that advice whenever a job that I really know needs to get done can come into potential conflict with someone else’s turf. If something is that important, just do it, and then apologize if necessary. Also, this advice was given to me by the best boss I’ve ever had: I was struggling with a project at work and was becoming frustrated and disheartened. I was starting to doubt that a particular task might not be possible. He told me “The only people who never fail are those who never try.” And I just thought of another way of putting it: “The road to success is paved with failure.” It enabled me to move ahead, and finally make a cognitive breakthrough that allowed me to actually succeed. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/106 "2016-01-08T14:38:14Z")
From my Dad - Better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. From dog training. Don’t pick a fight with a dog that loves to fight. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/107 "2016-01-08T14:58:30Z")
“Life is like baseball. Seventy percent of the time you are going to fail. Keep that up, and you wind up in the Hall of Fame.” ~~Mike Barnicle, paraphrasing Ted Williams. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/108 "2016-01-08T15:29:48Z")
Reminds me of: “Church is like baseball, many attend, few understand!” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/109 "2016-01-08T21:44:12Z")
One a friend of mine told me (he may or may not have invented it; I don’t know, and make no claim): “It is easier to knock someone off of their pedestal when they’re leaning back, laughing at you.” Advice from my father: “Either listen to the whole conversation, or stay the fuck out of it.” ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/110 "2016-01-09T07:16:44Z")
I picked this up in boot camp many years ago: never stand up when you can sit; never sit when you can lie down and never stay awake when you can sleep. ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/111 "2016-01-09T10:31:42Z")
“A little bit of something is better than a lot of nothing.” I heard this said many years ago by someone who was asked why he took the trouble to pick a penny up off the ground. “If people would just leave each other alone half the world’s troubles would disappear.” Saw this attributed to Abe Lincoln but don’t know if he actually said that. I’ve never been able to find it anywhere on the 'net. ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/112 "2016-01-09T10:40:01Z")
A couple more: When I was a kid some old guy gave me the following advice: “Son, what ever you do, don’t get old!” I regret to say that I did not follow his advice. “Never stick your elbow in your ear.” While I never tried it I didn’t understand this advice until I was nearly fifty. Felt like an idiot when I finally got it. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/113 "2016-01-09T12:01:44Z")
Never criticize a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes. Then you’ll be a mile from him, and have his shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/114 "2016-01-09T15:37:52Z")
You’d be amazed at what you can do if you don’t think about doing it. Everybody’s life has problems all the time. You don’t have to live a life. You have to live today. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/115 "2016-01-09T19:03:02Z")
One day as I cashiered, several problems came up at once, and it seemed like there was nobody around who could deal with them. When things finally quieted down, my next customer said “It seems like you are having a bad day.” I replied, without thinking about it: No, I had some bad moments. But bad moments do not make a bad day. She repeated what I had said, was quiet for a minute, and then said “That is so wise. I am going to use that line.” It’s true. A bad moment does not make a whole day bad. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/116 "2016-01-09T20:05:39Z")
“On the last day of your life, you will look around and ask, ‘why did I take so many days like this one for granted?’” ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/117 "2016-01-10T02:22:16Z")
I have three: 1.Resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die. 1. Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past could be any different. and my sig… ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/118 "2016-01-10T05:10:16Z")
A lack of planning on _your_ part, _DOES NOT_ constitute an emergency on _my_ part Murphy’s statement on the power of negative thinking; it is impossible for an optimist to be pleasantly surprised The art of Accurate Observation is often called “Cynicism” by those who do not possess it ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/119 "2016-01-10T05:36:16Z")
From _Looking Out For #1_ by **Robert Ringer** : The Iceball Theorem: One hundred million years from now, when the Sun is burned out and the Earth is a frozen ice ball, _none of this will matter._ Or, as Walt Kelly of Pogo fame put it: [_Don’t take life so serious, son – it ain’t no how permanent._](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Yj8TFP00qs/TZPFx60HSnI/AAAAAAAACcw/-dv8u9gpDms/s1600/pogo.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052/120 "2016-01-10T07:09:14Z")
From **House of God** , by Dr. Samuel Shem (an excellent book). Life is like a penis; when it’s soft you can’t beat it. When it’s hard, you get screwed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-wise-sayings-to-live-your-life-by/742052.md?page=7)