# One piece of advice you would give to your teenage self? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 2, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154 "2014-07-02T01:23:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ContentWithTomorrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c0e974/32.png) [@ContentWithTomorrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ContentWithTomorrow)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/1 "2014-07-02T01:23:57Z")
Mine would be ‘Pay attention to everything and judge for yourself whether it applies to you or not.’ ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/2 "2014-07-02T01:25:26Z")
Don’t marry her, she ain’t worth it! ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/3 "2014-07-02T01:27:57Z")
Forget the humanities! Go into law, medicine, business, science! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/4 "2014-07-02T01:32:46Z")
Write! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/5 "2014-07-02T01:35:00Z")
At least try pot _once_! ---
**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:** [July 2, 2014, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/6 "2014-07-02T01:52:46Z")
Visit a competent doctor ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/7 "2014-07-02T01:53:34Z")
I wouldn’t tell my teenage self a thing. What would the point be? I’m quite happy with my life as it is now. If I were to go back and tell my teenage self something that made him do anything differently, do I-as-I’ve-become even exist anymore, ever come to be? Or does a second timeline open up, where I keep on being who I am, but a clone of my teenage self goes off in another direction on another timeline, becoming someone different than the person I am now? I think I’ll just leave spacetime as it is, thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/8 "2014-07-02T01:55:32Z")
Yes, those first few pounds matter. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/9 "2014-07-02T01:57:39Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > At least try pot _once_! Yes. 😛 No seriously, I’d tell myself to set boundaries with my mother and keep them. I’m 46 years old and still dealing with the repercussions. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/10 "2014-07-02T01:59:03Z")
Stop fretting over what you’re not. Focus on what you are. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/11 "2014-07-02T01:59:27Z")
Go for it. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/12 "2014-07-02T02:01:10Z")
Take things much more seriously. Work harder. Opportunity rarely knocks twice. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/13 "2014-07-02T02:05:39Z")
Believe in yourself ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/14 "2014-07-02T02:11:04Z")
Try to improve your social skills, even if it does scare you at first. You are not depressed because you need Jesus or because you don’t think positive. People who tell you that are idiots. There is something wrong and you need to see a doctor as soon as you can. The Humanities are great but try learning a few useful skills like typing or bookkeeping. Contrary to popular belief they do not destroy your creativity and you just may need them. Jimmy Page does NOT worship the devil. Worry about something else. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/15 "2014-07-02T02:14:26Z")
Yes, Ellen probably wants to go out with you. And maybe one of the twins; I think it’s Kathy, though they’ve lived down the block for years and you still can’t tell them apart. You aren’t really as unattractive as you think you are. There’s a reason you keep falling asleep in Anthro class, so you probably shouldn’t major in it in college. And learn to type, ferchrissake. Trust me, it will be important in just a few years. ---
**Author:** ![Inna\_Minnit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Inna\_Minnit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inna_Minnit)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/16 "2014-07-02T02:24:01Z")
Think again about Nursing. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/17 "2014-07-02T02:30:50Z")
Marry that rich girl who was crushing on you. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/18 "2014-07-02T02:42:56Z")
> [@KRC](#): > > Try to improve your social skills, even if it does scare you at first. This. And its companion piece of advice: Being smart isn’t enough by itself. ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/19 "2014-07-02T02:42:59Z")
Sometimes you gotta take the pussy like Pepe. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154/20 "2014-07-02T02:49:33Z")
invest in bitcoins [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-piece-of-advice-you-would-give-to-your-teenage-self/692154.md?page=2)