# The painfully acquired wisdom that comes mainly with age and life experience thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 12, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-painfully-acquired-wisdom-that-comes-mainly-with-age-and-life-experience-thread/218466 "2003-12-12T00:12:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-painfully-acquired-wisdom-that-comes-mainly-with-age-and-life-experience-thread/218466/61 "2003-12-14T23:39:39Z")
Do those very things that you are afraid of doing, but stop short of being totally wreckless. Sometime within the next thirty-six hours, make out a list of things that you want to do in your life, places that you want to see, things that you want to have. Nail the list to the wall. Focus on one goal at a time. Make out a list of things to do to accomplish that goal. Nail that to the wall too. Do _something_ toward fulfilling that goal at least every week, if not every day – even if it is reading for information. Learn to enjoy the pleasures of the moment – even living in uncertainty. Celebrate every time you get a chance, especially if dancing is involved. When faced with a crisis: 1) Make a list of what you can do. 2) Do everything on that list. 3) Turn loose of the problem. Never pass up the opportunity to ticke the feet of a four year old. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-painfully-acquired-wisdom-that-comes-mainly-with-age-and-life-experience-thread/218466/62 "2003-12-15T00:07:07Z")
A few travel tips: Never fly out of Turin with a hangover (try it and find out why 😉 ) Manchester and Leeds are a LONG way apart You’re always overdressed for the London Underground Don’t talk to any employee of the Boston T, just thrust a dollar bill in their direction Stamp your ticket before getting on a train in Italy Look both ways several times before crossing any road in France - and then run ---
**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:** [December 15, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-painfully-acquired-wisdom-that-comes-mainly-with-age-and-life-experience-thread/218466/63 "2003-12-15T01:17:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Standup Karmic \* > \*\*“Sticking it out” isn’t always the character-builder that many people think. Life is too short to be stuck doing something that isn’t worth doing, just for the sake of “stick-to-it-iveness”. > \*\* Preach it, Brotha (or Sista)! I come from stubborn folk, and this lesson took me a lonnnnnnng time to learn. Sometimes the best thing you can do is say “This isn’t worth it.” and walk away. My painfully-acquired wisdom? That people really are _that_ stupid. And to respect competence - it’s rarer than it really should be. ---
**Author:** ![ultradawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d9b06d/32.png) [@ultradawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultradawn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-painfully-acquired-wisdom-that-comes-mainly-with-age-and-life-experience-thread/218466/64 "2003-12-15T01:23:10Z")
Don’t **Ever** give out loans to family members… unless you expect to never be paid back [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-painfully-acquired-wisdom-that-comes-mainly-with-age-and-life-experience-thread/218466.md?page=3)