# If you had ONE piece of advice to give to others based on a mistake what would it be? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224 "2008-10-09T20:34:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/21 "2008-10-09T23:30:08Z")
Pursue a career doing something you love to do even if the pay isn’t as high as other careers. You’ll spend most of your waking life working. If you hate your job, you’ll hate your life. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/22 "2008-10-09T23:34:25Z")
When you go to college, you will be inundated with offers for credit cards. Credit cards are not money. It will seem so easy to get a credit card and pay for your pizzas with it. Do not even apply for these offers. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/23 "2008-10-09T23:36:48Z")
Don’t borrow money from friends, co-workers or family. It rarely turns out well for anyone involved. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/24 "2008-10-09T23:41:49Z")
Being rejected isn’t the worst thing in the world. Ask her out anyway. She may say yes, you may find something grand. If not, you won’t even recall the rejection later in life. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/25 "2008-10-09T23:54:12Z")
**Starting out professionally** : Remember **every** industry is a small world. Put some high quality “classic” clothes on the credit card for your first job. **For everything els** e: Pick your battles. Do not try addictive substances. If you don’t like them, you just waste your money; if you do, welcome to Hell. And, when all else fails, thinks of it as an adventure. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/26 "2008-10-09T23:54:49Z")
Don’t bother going to grad school unless you can get into a top 10 school in your field and get paid for it. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/27 "2008-10-10T00:22:31Z")
Don’t always take the path of least resistance. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/28 "2008-10-10T00:38:50Z")
> [@Influential\_Panda](#): > > Start going to the gym. Keep going to the gym. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/29 "2008-10-10T02:00:13Z")
Do not involve yourself romantically with a married woman, or man for that matter. Even if it ends relatively well, it’s just not worth it, and no matter what the reason it’s not proper to put yourself in such a position… ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@Rich\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_Mann)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/30 "2008-10-10T02:39:00Z")
When you get a ‘funny feeling’ that something is wrong or that you should or shouldn’t do a certain thing, that’s your unconscious mind trying to tell you something important. If you ignore it, more often than not, you will be heard later to say, “Damn! I knew something like that was going to happen!” Oh, and nobody who should be trusted ever needs to say “Trust me”. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/31 "2008-10-10T02:41:21Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > If you walk through a forest of red flags for love, you’ll be beaten with every single one of those red flags on the way out. > [@PeskiPiksi](#): > > Trust your instincts. If you have a feeling he’s cheating on you, even if you have no concrete proof, he probably is. I have to second both of these. Also, never marry a Mama’s Boy. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/32 "2008-10-10T03:23:41Z")
Don’t marry someone because “they’ll do” and you’re tired of dating. You will NOT learn to like your spouse’s irritating “faults,” and your spouse will NOT change. Understand that marriage will not help you address or correct any issues or insecurities you have regarding your own anxieties, personality, or sexuality. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/33 "2008-10-10T03:31:31Z")
If you do decide to get debt, get enough to qualify for a bailout from the federal government. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/34 "2008-10-10T04:12:02Z")
> [@Influential\_Panda](#): > > Start going to the gym. That’s a good one - on a related note, don’t stop doing something you enjoy, because you’ll get out of practice and you’ll wish you had kept it up. For example, I skated like I was born with skates on my feet when I was a kid; I stopped skating for years, and now I can barely skate at all. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/35 "2008-10-10T04:41:52Z")
Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence. On a similar vein, give people the benefit of the doubt. We’re all doing the best we can. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/36 "2008-10-10T05:18:49Z")
For various reasons it’s been coming to mind lately: Date rape is NOT a good reason to get married. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/37 "2008-10-10T06:14:15Z")
Never give up on your dreams. You may have to take crappy jobs just to put a roof over your head, but never lose sight of what you ultimately love. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/38 "2008-10-10T06:23:00Z")
That hot blond tatooed guy you met? The one who told you he was the leader of all the gangs in town? You, like gave him your ATM card? ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/39 "2008-10-10T06:24:39Z")
If a guy seems condescending and manipulative before the first date, don’t go out with him, no matter how cute he is. If a guy makes rape jokes while plying you with alcohol, leave post haste. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224/40 "2008-10-10T06:29:24Z")
If you start a business with friends (or anyone), make sure you rewrite the buy-sell agreement every two years. You may not be friends down the road. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-one-piece-of-advice-to-give-to-others-based-on-a-mistake-what-would-it-be/467224.md?page=3)