# The general Life Advice thread **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 20, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729 "2009-02-20T16:11:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/1 "2009-02-20T16:11:07Z")
If you could give 99% of the population one bit of useful life advice, what would it be? This could apply to almost any topic, from household cleaning tips to health to spirituality. It should, however, be useful to just about everyone, anywhere in the world. A couple of general rules: 1. Let’s try to keep politics, snark, and opinionated jerkishness out of this. SDMB rule #1 applies here. 2. Feel free to post multiple times, but one bit of advice per post, please. My first entry: Confucious say “Man who tries to catch many rabbits catches no rabbits.” Forget multitasking. Become a unitasker. Identify a goal that you have, then break it into the smallest manageable chunks possible, then do only what needs to be done right now. When it’s done, move to the next step. If your goal is to clean your home, pick one small corner of one room, and clean it. Then go to the next corner. If your goal is to become filthy rich, concentrate on getting a job. There will be time to manage your vast estates later. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/2 "2009-02-20T16:29:39Z")
Some of these may be cliches or proverbs, but there’s a reason they have held up over time. Mine is: **If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.** Nigerian scams, ponzi/pyramid schemes, etc. come to mind as prime examples. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/3 "2009-02-20T16:39:45Z")
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift.” [Steve Prefontaine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Prefontaine) I’m sure he was referring to his running but it can apply to anything. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/4 "2009-02-20T16:40:34Z")
If someone offers you a breath mint, take it. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/5 "2009-02-20T16:43:23Z")
Just let it go. All that emotional baggage from childhood, depressed mother/narcissistic father, high school, crappy relationships, etc. … just let it go! I know that a lot of people will need help with it, because I did. I’ve never suffered from outright abuse or neglect, and I know a lot of people have, so I really don’t mean that’s it’s necessarily going to be easy. People seem to sometimes have their self-identity wrapped up in being a victim, which to me just means that the offending person still has control over them. I couldn’t do that anymore. I’ve got a great therapist who has been pivotal in helping me to dig it up, look at it, and throw it all away. And I couldn’t be happier. Instead of wasting my time and emotional energy dwelling and worrying and fretting about things that happened a long time ago that I can’t change or do anything about, I just let it go. That’s not to say that I’ve forgotten the bad stuff, or that it doesn’t come bubbling up from time totime, but I don’t let it run my life anymore. I remember hearing a story (real or made-up, I don’t know) about a woman who was abducted, kidnapped, beaten, raped, left for dead - the whole nine yards of physical, mental, and emotional wounding all wrapped up in one experience. When asked about how she could go on living with those memories (don’t you think about it all the time? does it define you as a victim? how can you go on each day? sort of things), she said something to the effect of, “That man was in control of me for two days of my life. He did horrible things to me over and over again. But I will not give him the power to have control over me for the rest of my life. I refuse to live a life of fear. I refuse to live as a victim.” And it really rang true. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/6 "2009-02-20T16:45:23Z")
Take care of your dental health. ---
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/7 "2009-02-20T16:52:32Z")
Having a baby won’t save your marriage. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/8 "2009-02-20T17:07:12Z")
And getting married won’t fix your relationship. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/9 "2009-02-20T17:08:35Z")
I’m probably the worst person in the world to give advice considering what a suckfest my life is, but: “Go for it.” That’s all I’ve got. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/10 "2009-02-20T17:11:08Z")
Save some money for the unexpected, problems and retirement. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Batman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@The\_Batman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Batman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/11 "2009-02-20T17:13:56Z")
Question your beliefs. I don’t mean just your religious or political beliefs but everything from your opinion on the economy to what you think about your co-workers. It’s good to have an open mind. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/12 "2009-02-20T17:23:10Z")
Don’t play cards with people you don’t know. Somewhat related to “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” but is perhaps a little broader. A card game crosses the line when the idea is to fleece a stranger/mark who was enticed to play with such promises as “You don’t know these guys but you should clean up; they’re not very good and they only play for small stuff anyway.” Small stuff can add up to big stuff in a hurry, and while the folks may not be good players, they may be great cheats. Translated to everyday advice good for all situations, it means that if someone you don’t know (or barely know, for that matter) offers you a great-sounding proposition, approach it with care. It may be on the up-and-up, but it may not be. If you’re interested, then investigate and ask questions and get to know the proposition and the people behind it–this way, if you choose to participate, you’re now “playing cards with people you know.” And if they balk at you getting to know them and their proposition better, maybe just sitting out of the game is a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/13 "2009-02-20T17:33:06Z")
Give people a second chance, but not a third. Everyone makes mistakes, what matters is that you take steps to ensure you make as few as possible. If you don’t like yourself then it’s unlikely anyone else will either. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/14 "2009-02-20T17:35:53Z")
I don’t know how to shorten it up so it sounds like a nifty motto or anything but - Hug your kids and spend time with them when you can; the yard work and repairs and bills, etc. are all important and they all can wait. I know so many people who are rushing around and slaving to make extra money to get their kids things; they’ll adapt to having less stuff, they’ll never get that lost time back. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/15 "2009-02-20T17:37:18Z")
Fall seven times, stand up eight. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/16 "2009-02-20T17:41:34Z")
Live each day as if it were your last; someday it will be. Nobody says with his/her dying breath, “I wish I’d spent more time at the office.” Also plan as if you’ll live 150 years. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/17 "2009-02-20T17:57:42Z")
If you encounter injustice, act on it. You will never have another chance. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/18 "2009-02-20T18:01:12Z")
Put your moisturizer and your hair cream on opposite sides of the bathroom. Because the one morning you don’t pay attention and mix them up is the morning you’re already running late. (And, yes, you can get moisturizer out of your hair quickly but it ain’t fun.) When someone makes a genuine offer to help you, accept the help. You might not need help, but they might need to help you. Don’t take your bad mood out on the people around you, because it only makes everyone, including yourself, feel worse. Ice cubes run over the top of soup will pull the grease out. No, you are not tan enough to go without sunscreen. Wear it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/19 "2009-02-20T18:03:01Z")
Don’t step on my Happy Shoes. I’ll try not to step on yours, and we’ll get along _just fine_. ---
**Author:** ![Jelly\_Roll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Jelly\_Roll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelly_Roll)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729/20 "2009-02-20T18:03:34Z")
Never take a “no” from someone who didn’t have the authority to give you a “yes” in the first place. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-general-life-advice-thread/486729.md?page=2)