# Things you learned the hard way **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 3, 2020, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922 "2020-04-03T00:05:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/21 "2020-04-03T21:55:18Z")
That oh so cool guy in highschool will break your tiny teenage heart. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/22 "2020-04-03T21:57:29Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > Double-check that the soldering pencil is unplugged before picking it up by the business end. In a related lesson, look at the soldering iron when reaching for it. Even if you think you have to keep your eyes on the workpiece to keep everything aligned and in place, when you grab the iron by the barrel instead of the handle the resulting spasm of pain and fear will make you knock the workpiece apart anyway. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/23 "2020-04-03T22:03:20Z")
Cow corn is not the same as people corn, no matter how good it looks. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/24 "2020-04-03T22:27:01Z")
Baking powder and baking soda are **NOT** interchangeable as cooking ingredients. Guaifenesin and guanfacine are two very different drugs for very different purposes. Remove the obturator from the anoscope very, very slowly when using it to examine a patient. And during that process, be ready to put it back in quickly at need. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/25 "2020-04-03T22:42:18Z")
Lose the first five pounds when they appear. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/26 "2020-04-03T22:50:12Z")
Don’t grab a hot dish in the oven with a wet hotpad. Just don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/27 "2020-04-03T22:50:50Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > Backhoes don’t float. I laughed. But I bet you didn’t! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/28 "2020-04-03T22:53:01Z")
Ditto on the olives. A lovely trip through southern Spain cured me of that. Don’t have sex with the crazy. Never take your eyes off the knife when chopping things up. Never put said knife in the sink. Metal handles on pans that come out of the 400F oven are _also_ 400F. After an incident with a pan full of seared lamb chops a few nights ago, it turns out I still haven’t learned that one. When cats roll onto their back, it is NOT an invitation to skritch their tummies. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/29 "2020-04-03T22:53:06Z")
“We’ll see” is moms way of saying NO! From my much younger days: If she cheated on him with you, she’ll cheat on you as well. Also, no matter how hot she is, somewhere there is a guy who is sick of her shit! In the wee hours of the night it is better to have beer though no money than to have money but no beer. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/30 "2020-04-03T23:03:49Z")
Did NOT learn the hard way, but came awfully damn close: do not mix bleach and ammonia. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/31 "2020-04-03T23:11:02Z")
Being alone doesn’t hurt nearly as much as being with the wrong person. When you feel down, find somebody who needs your help and help them. There is always something you can do for somebody else, and there is no better way to raise your mood and self-esteem. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/32 "2020-04-03T23:19:25Z")
Liquid propane is, like, really cold. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/33 "2020-04-03T23:35:18Z")
To my men folks: clean that ice chest as soon as you get the fish out. It seems even expensive ice chests won’t release the odor of fish. ---
**Author:** ![a6ka97](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@a6ka97](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a6ka97)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/34 "2020-04-04T00:06:19Z")
Make sure the gas grill is a few feet away from the vinyl siding on your house when lighting the grill. 1 foot is not enough. I have a 2’X3’ warped spot of siding by my back door of my old house. ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/35 "2020-04-04T00:18:42Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > Backhoes don’t float. Neither do D-8 Cats! ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/36 "2020-04-04T00:20:08Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > Never, ever, _ever_ ask a kid, “Why?” > > The circumstances of asking this of a kid means that the kid has done something wrong. You are already mad. There is NO answer that the kid can have that will alleviate whatever problem exists. > > Any answer will just make you more mad. > > Be kind to yourself. Never ask a kid, “Why?” > > Just. Don’t. > ~VOW Damn good advice. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/37 "2020-04-04T00:27:08Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > Double-check that the soldering pencil is unplugged before picking it up by the business end. related–never pick up a curling iron by the business end even if it is unplugged. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/38 "2020-04-04T00:35:31Z")
Don’t drive your new 4Runner across a knee-deep creek if you don’t know what you’re doing. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/39 "2020-04-04T00:35:32Z")
Don’t ever go to pet an unknown dog. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/40 "2020-04-04T00:43:05Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > From my much younger days: If she cheated on him with you, she’ll cheat on you as well. Also, no matter how hot she is, somewhere there is a guy who is sick of her shit! Both of these. Lessons I have carried for close to 30 years now, and will keep carrying to my grave. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922.md?page=3)