# Lessons you learned the hard way... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 16, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634 "2008-04-16T19:34:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![krisolov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krisolov/32/3724_2.png) [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/81 "2008-04-19T01:52:48Z")
tequila does not make me invincible. you should always avoid putting any part of your body in a deep fryer. I only have experience with hands. Don’t hire or date anyone crazier than you. Yes, you can get poison ivy in February, in upstate New York. At least around Schenectady you can. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/82 "2008-04-19T03:03:00Z")
**Don’t smoke!** ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/83 "2008-04-19T03:58:31Z")
[QUOTE=krisolov] Yes, you can get poison ivy in February, in upstate New York. At least around Schenectady you can. [/QUOTE] The urushiol that causes the allergic reaction is still present in the dead leaves and vines all winter. Additionally, it can persist for up to three years on clothing that has previously come into contact with poison ivy and not been washed. For instance, on leather gloves used for cutting and hauling wood. The other poison ivy tidbit I learned firsthand - mangoes are related to poison ivy. If you’re allergic to ivy, you should at the very least avoid mango skins (which contain urushiol) if not mangoes altogether. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/84 "2008-04-19T03:59:59Z")
[QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] … Never look over your shoulder when riding a bicycle down a steep, winding road at 40 mph. … [/QUOTE] Seconded. Backup your important files. Backup all of your files. Back them up again. You know how in the movies, people can climb out of windows of moving cars and onto the roof? That doesn’t work. If you just stop your car, and the radiator cap is very, very hot and very hard to turn, don’t open the radiator cap with your face one foot away from it. If your fiancee schedules a weekend scuba diving trip to Mexico on the one weekend you absolutely can’t accompany her, and she goes with an old college friend who’s … aw, fuck it. You know how this ends. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/85 "2008-04-19T04:00:21Z")
Just tell the truth. No matter what trouble you are trying to avoid, it will be nowhere near as bad as the trouble you will create for yourself by lying. ---
**Author:** ![gravitycrash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/86 "2008-04-19T04:12:10Z")
Don’t ignore the check engine light on your car. I’m still paying for that one. When you move into a new home try to find out what type of pets the neighbors have. ☹ Beer and Religious debate do not mix well together. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/87 "2008-04-19T11:28:43Z")
[QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] Along those lines, if a hair color says “temporary,” don’t believe it, or you may find yourself wearing costume-party-colored hair for six freakin’ weeks. [/QUOTE] I can vouch for that one. And especially don’t believe it if you have a job interview the following week. (Yes, I had to turn up for the interview with pink hair, and yes, I’m male.) ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/88 "2008-04-19T14:28:25Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] I can vouch for that one. And especially don’t believe it if you have a job interview the following week. (Yes, I had to turn up for the interview with pink hair, and yes, I’m male.) [/QUOTE] There’s a funny story behind that, I’m sure. Can it be found on the Dope? If not, why not? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/89 "2008-04-19T14:36:48Z")
RAM modules cannot be hot-swapped. In certain circumstances, damaged RAM modules can be diagnosed by a faint odor of burnt plastic. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/90 "2008-04-19T18:07:08Z")
If you have a 2 ft. long braid hanging from the side of your head, don’t turn the vacuum cleaner upside down to see if the beater bar is going around. ---
**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:** [April 19, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/91 "2008-04-19T18:32:04Z")
[QUOTE=Suburban Plankton] Just tell the truth. No matter what trouble you are trying to avoid, it will be nowhere near as bad as the trouble you will create for yourself by lying. [/QUOTE] No no no. Learn to lie and lie well. Lying is an essential life-skill. As is knowing when to lie and when to tell the truth. > [@](#): > > If you have a 2 ft. long braid hanging from the side of your head, don’t turn the vacuum cleaner upside down to see if the beater bar is going around. :eek: Learn enough to know what you don’t know. If your knowledge is from something someone in your family did ten years ago, keep your mouth shut. ---
**Author:** ![NightRabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@NightRabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NightRabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/92 "2008-04-19T18:58:45Z")
For god’s sake, use pseudonyms on your online blogs. ALWAYS. Even if you don’t think the people you’re writing about will ever, ever ever, EVER get ahold of it. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/93 "2008-04-20T01:19:11Z")
There may be some place where someone actually wants to give you something for nothing. But you won’t find it on this planet. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/94 "2008-04-20T04:38:55Z")
Life isn’t fair, get over it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/95 "2008-04-20T05:02:55Z")
When you throw the left, be prepared to throw the right. 99 outta hunnert she’s gonna pick her momma over you. You can make up for skill with power, but not for very long. And, as a correlation to the “hot/sane” and “fast/cheap” offerings, allow me to post **Scrappy** ’s Third Rule: \*Stick. Move. Pick BOTH. BOTH. BOTH!!!\* :smack: [QUOTE= krisolov] tequila does not make me invincible. [/QUOTE] Yes it does! Yes it does!!! OK, no, it doesn’t. ☹ [QUOTE= dwc1970] If someone has found the secret to getting rich, why is he willing to let you in on it… for a price? [/QUOTE] Because _that’s_ the secret- why you payin’ for it’s the REAL question. ---
**Author:** ![Ducktail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@Ducktail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ducktail)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/96 "2008-04-20T05:17:43Z")
It takes skill to throw a boomerang and actually have it return. This can, however, occasionally happen through sheer luck. Always be aware of this possibility so you can know whether to duck. My friend actually learned that the hard way and has the scar to prove it. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/97 "2008-04-20T05:59:52Z")
Average but hard-working will always beat smart but lazy. ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/98 "2008-04-20T08:40:15Z")
[QUOTE=Ducktail] My friend actually learned that the hard way and has the scar to prove it. [/QUOTE] It’s much better to learn from someone else’s mistakes. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Lars\_Aruns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Lars\_Aruns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lars_Aruns)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/99 "2008-04-20T09:10:39Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70] Not everyone is nice; strangers must earn your trust. [/QUOTE] True; and of course, this goes two ways: you have to give strangers the chance to earn your trust. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634/100 "2008-04-20T11:01:30Z")
Don’t drink and internet shop. Especially on itunes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lessons-you-learned-the-hard-way/445634.md?page=6)