# What is the worst advice you ever followed? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2008, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838 "2008-10-14T07:50:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![superwombat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superwombat/32/16616_2.png) [@superwombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superwombat)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/1 "2008-10-14T07:50:28Z")
Advice that seemed great at the time, but had dire consequences? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/2 "2008-10-14T08:08:12Z")
“Employers don’t care what your degree is in, as long as you get a degree” ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/3 "2008-10-14T08:26:35Z")
The 18-year-old me: “I don’t know how I’m ever going to afford to buy a house.” Dad: “Don’t worry about it, it will take care of itself.” ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/4 "2008-10-14T08:34:27Z")
“Just trust me. I love you, I’d never do anything to cause you harm.” ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/5 "2008-10-14T08:44:33Z")
just put some ice on it ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/6 "2008-10-14T08:49:38Z")
Me: I dunno, I just think we’re too different. We come from different worlds. Her: It’s not like that, don’t worry about it. (six years pass) Her: We’re just too different, you know? Me: _hand breaks sound barrier in process of slapping forehead_ ---
**Author:** ![Sami41](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@Sami41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sami41)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/7 "2008-10-14T13:29:48Z")
“You should move to Flagstaff.” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/8 "2008-10-14T13:35:54Z")
Hey, getting a BA in music performance is a great idea! ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/9 "2008-10-14T13:38:50Z")
“Seriously, nobody uses the study time to work.” ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/10 "2008-10-14T13:39:38Z")
You are too stupid to finish high school. Get married. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/11 "2008-10-14T13:41:38Z")
“Do what you love and the money will follow.” ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/12 "2008-10-14T14:23:27Z")
Departing San Fran; “Don’t go through Lake Tahoe on your way to Yosemite and be sure and stay at the Wawona Hotel.” The Wawona had no views, no good trails, nothing to do within driving distance, the golf course was closed and we may have been the only people there under 80 years of age. It blew HUGE chunks and we got there in no time, time that would have been better spent at Tahoe. This was made all the worse the next day when we saw Yosemite and the beautiful accomodations we could have had right there in the park surrounded by everything we’d travelled there for. Frustrating in that it was advice given right here, :(, so I’d like to provide a conflicting opinion to CA travellers, namely that the Wawona is good for little other than a dirt nap. There’s no telling how many times I apologised to my wife for that one. ---
**Author:** ![Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a4c791/32.png) [@Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frustrated_Wonderer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/13 "2008-10-14T14:27:34Z")
“Ah, it´s just ONE more drink, you pussy!” Oh god, why do I keep falling for that? ---
**Author:** ![Finally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/67e7ee/32.png) [@Finally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finally)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/14 "2008-10-14T14:42:54Z")
I took out a home equity loan for $20,000 and loaned it to the man I was head-over-heels-positive-I’d-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-with. “It’s only $” said my best friend. I haven’t seen or heard from said man in 3 years and have seen exactly $0. Makes me sick to my stomach to think of it. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/15 "2008-10-14T14:45:43Z")
It’s okay. We’ll support you whatever you decide to do. (this type of advice is generally followed by screams of “Oh my God, what has she done now?”) ---
**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:** [October 14, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/16 "2008-10-14T15:19:06Z")
My boss told me “don’t invest money in a client you represent. You’ll be too emotionally connected to the stock.” Nine stock splits later the stock is worth something like 20X what I would have bought it for. ---
**Author:** ![accidentalyuppie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@accidentalyuppie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/accidentalyuppie)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/17 "2008-10-14T16:25:47Z")
“Invest for your retirement” I wish I’d gone with fast cars and good weed ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/18 "2008-10-14T16:40:57Z")
“If you don’t buy a starter house now, you will not own property in your lifetime. Real estate is never going down.” Bought May of 2006 (pretty much market peak) in one of the most overvalued markets in the country :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/19 "2008-10-14T16:44:52Z")
I can’t recall any advice I’ve ever taken to determine if it was bad or good. I’ve just F’ed everything up on my own! 😃 I’ll have a lot of good things to tell my kid, however. He won’t listen, I’m sure of it. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838/20 "2008-10-14T17:18:16Z")
“We don’t need to go get our flu shots from the college for $10. My mom [who’s a nurse] will hook us up!” She didn’t. Worst. Flu. Ever. uuuuuugh. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-advice-you-ever-followed/467838.md?page=2)