What is the worst advice you've received?

Stump said:
I think the idea that advice is useful is bad advice.

Life is incredibly complicated. It's often a fools errand to reduce something to a simplistic caricature and make a decision based on how some general advice you decide fits this oversimplification.

It's also often a fools errand to look back on life to find key moments where you made decisions like following advice or not. Sometimes it's easy and straightforward to do this. Like, "I shouldn't have killed that guy." But in my experience, life is far too complicated most of the time to make these kinds of cause and effect proclamations.

The difficulties we face make us better people and allow us to know our deep values and strengths. The things we want are often only fleetingly enjoyable but regrettable or stagnating in the long term. Even things that seem good or bad within a decade can totally flip to their opposite in later years. And, of course, we aren't guaranteed any time on this planet, nor are we given knowledge about how things will turn out.

The advice to save money and build a retirement fund from an early age could be the key to unlocking an extremely meaningful life. Or, you could die tomorrow.
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I think a lot of advice is generalizable. Something like "take care of your health," I can't think of as ever being bad advice. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, but most of the famous proverbs and wise quotes have stood the test of time for a reason: They are true more often than not.

Stump said:
This is a good fable:
https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/fellows/the-story-of-the-chinese-farmer/
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I remember Dan Blizerian saying this on the Joe Rogan show. 99% of the time you break your leg there's no good fortune that came out of it (unless you win some sort of settlement), it's usually just shitty luck.

The analogy you gave about saving, yeah you can save for retirement and then die early... happens a lot, but most people don't die before retirement age, so your best bet is to heed the advice. You don't want to go through life assuming you are the exception and not the rule. By definition, you're rarely the exception.
 
Alphaboy said:
I think a lot of advice is generalizable. Something like "take care of your health," I can't think of as ever being bad advice. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, but most of the famous proverbs and wise quotes have stood the test of time for a reason: They are true more often than not.
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But for every wise proverb, there is an equally wise proverb that says the precisely opposite thing. Is it that the early bird gets the worm, or is it that patience is a virtue. Obviously "don't unnecessarily risk your health" is smart, but what does that really mean? Does that mean don't go snowboarding, don't drink, don't have a glass of whiskey and a cigar with your grandpa before he dies?

I remember Dan Blizerian saying this on the Joe Rogan show. 99% of the time you break your leg there's no good fortune that came out of it (unless you win some sort of settlement), it's usually just shitty luck.
The analogy you gave about saving, yeah you can save for retirement and then die early... happens a lot, but most people don't die before retirement age, so your best bet is to heed the advice. You don't want to go through life assuming you are the exception and not the rule. By definition, you're rarely the exception.
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Okay. You got me here. I'll admit I do think there are some things that are just obviously good solid advice. For example, don't look to Dan fucking Blizerian for life inspiration.
 
jeff7b9 said:
"You should play on the rugby team."

with #11 booked for next month and #12 and possibly #13 this coming winter
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How many surgeries before you quit the sport?
 
Alphaboy said:
Like any cliché, it has some modicum of truth!

If you're an upstanding person, you are inherently at a disadvantage against those who will do literally anything to win. Think of some of the most successful, powerful, people and their start.

Bill Gates... scumbag.
Mark Zuckerberg... scumbag.
Steve Jobs... the list goes on.

With that said, being an upstanding person and having a good reputation has its advantages too. Sometimes your reputation as an honorable person will get you far (as you said) and foster connections as well. I recommend it!
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I'd have to generally agree with you. Those hyper successful assholes didn't do it alone. They kept their circle(s) close and content for the most part.
 
"Don't ever try to be competitive because that's annoying and people hate that" -NPC friend who sucked at everything because he never tried

the-breakfast-club-eat-my-shorts.gif

Eat my shorts ya commie
 
Phlog said:
How many surgeries before you quit the sport?
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None. I knew my shoulder was fucked.
I had a football "career" ending shoulder injury in HS, and this one was quite clearly worse. And it was a club team so it wasn't worth hurting myself any more than the damage already done.

I tried to do physical therapy and avoid surgery but eventually surgery became unavoidable, but I was done playing before I had the first surgery.
 
“Just go to the gym, bro”

“Going to the gym gives you energy!!”

“Hit the gym, man, girls will find you more attractive”

In reality, going to the gym is boring, tedious, repetitive (I’d honestly rather be doing anything else!).

Going to the gym makes you feel lonely, insecure. You usually go by yourself and are then surrounded by men that practically live in the gym and are already super fit. Makes you feel insecure by comparison.

Also, going to the gym doesn’t give you energy. After working 8-5, Monday to Friday, going to the gym increases my laundry burden and pretty much wipes out the little free time I have at all.

it’s expensive, 70$ a month in Japan

Also, I find just eating right and going for long walks pretty much keeps my weight in check anyways.

In short, going to the gym f**king sucks!
 
''they are real women bro''

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only kidding....
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worst advice i ever got was i was too old.....once at 18, and then again at 32, both times i believed it and both times i was wrong too.
 
Beau Wring said:
''they are real women bro''

imrs.php


only kidding....
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worst advice i ever got was i was too old.....once at 18, and then again at 32, both times i believed it and both times i was wrong too.
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Too old for what?
 
Alphaboy said:
Too old for what?
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if you can believe it, at 18 i was told i was i too old to learn to play the guitar by an older family member, still give them shit for it, in my 30's i thought about changing careers and becoming a school teacher, which is a far better paying job in the UK than it is in the US, the ''career advice'' lady told my i was too old and again i bought that shit.
 
Goonerview said:
There is a lot of crap dating advice out there.

“Dating is a numbers game”

“always go for the kiss on the first date!”

“Wait 3 days before texting her”

I read and consumed a lot of PUA stuff years ago. 90% of it is garbage! I wasted a lot of time, money, energy, opportunities with that.
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That’s not all bad advice. Always go for the kiss and more on the first date,
 
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