Could you share your knowledge about life?

[RikTelner]

That might be quiet strange question.

Would any of you tell me basic teachings about your life? Something as if you would be thinking like "Oh darn, if I just knew 30 years ago to do that, life would've been much easier!", or "Crap, why didn't I do this in my childhood, it would've worked really well!". Could you share some of your teachings maybe? Something like:

• Don't put beans up your nose.
• Putting your thong to vacuum cleaner is generally a bad idea.
• Before you go on date, check your breath.
• WATCH OUT!! HE'S A MURDERER!!

Or something alike, I would like to avoid mistakes which you made (don't take this as offensive as it sounds, everybody makes mistakes, but you live longer, so you've been through that and you know how to dodge these), to get hit against others. (I'm 18 years old)

[hericles]

Travel overseas while you are young. I spent 3 years tripping around the place and while your career is on hold during that time the results in terms of maturity and experience and well worth it. If you're money or career focuseed then don't, you'll just regret it later.
Get fit and stay fit. It doesn't matter what you do but get to a decent level of cardio fitness and muscular development (and I don't mean bodybuilder level). Your ability to build muscle and reach a decent level of fitness decline as you age. So get fit now as its easier to maintain fitness than acquire it. It'll help you age well.

[Reverend Jim]

Rule number 1 - don't let anyone do your thinking for you.

[RikTelner]

Rule number 1 - don't let anyone do your thinking for you.

I feel like it's aimed towards me. As answer: it's impossible for me to "protect" myself from every single problem as if that is, it's impossible to even think about them all. It's much easier to ask programmer about his opinion about your program and ask if it's vulnerable, rather than sit in front of your desk and look at your program and brute-forcing through all options that might happen, because after all this program still can be hacked because of lack of experience (you can't Google "life hints", because you end up with things parents tell).

Same here exactly, why should I waste my time theoretically brute-forcing on what might be good thing to do while most of will likely appear as wastes of time, when I can ask someone who has much more practical experience in life and can give me hints on what to do and what to not.

Or even shorter: There's too many available combinations of mistakes, to avoid them all. Instead I'm asking for most common ones and ones that are known and resolvable.

[Reverend Jim]

It's "aimed" at you because you asked for advice. However, it was not meant as a rebuke. Certainly, ask for advice, but consider it, weigh it before you accept it. And the thing about advice is you don't have to follow it if you don't like it.

When someone gives you their opinion don't just blindly accept it. Consider whether or not the person offering that opinion has an agenda (hello FOX News). Ask youself whether that opinion is backed up by facts. If you have an opinion then make sure it is an informed opinion. Make reasonably sure that your (and their) "facts" are reliable. Don't be afraid to have an opinion. Even if you are in the minority it doesn't mean you are wrong. However, when the facts are at odds with your beliefs, be willing to examine those beliefs and change them if they don't stand up.

Choose to be informed rather than only entertained. Remember that it is possible to be both (thank you Neil Degrasse Tyson).

And it's certainly not a strange question. I know far too many 18 year olds who are convinced they already know it all. I'm 61 and I'm far from knowing it all (fortunately I have friends who frequently remind me of that). But I'm working on it.

[RikTelner]

Certainly, ask for advice, but consider it, weigh it before you accept it.

I find this quite useful:

Get fit and stay fit. It doesn't matter what you do but get to a decent level of cardio fitness and muscular development (and I don't mean bodybuilder level). Your ability to build muscle and reach a decent level of fitness decline as you age. So get fit now as its easier to maintain fitness than acquire it.

I'm 61 and I'm far from knowing it all

Yes, but you certainly been through a lot, and know what had hit you in life and tell me so I can try to dodge it. Sure, you don't know every single "hitting thing", but I think that with help of more people, a lot of pain can be avoided.

When someone gives you their opinion don't just blindly accept it.

Well, there's a thing called "trust" and given "opinion" sounds pretty logical. Plus, what's the worst that could happen if someone says "be fit, stay fit"? If someone says, "jump from Eiffel Tower on your face, you'll get prettier", yea, it's to be heavily questioned.

[<M/>]

My number one rule (not mine, but i use it as my own so thank john wooden): Make each day a masterpiece.

Also, i like this triangle (from john wooden): https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAQQjBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftobefree.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fpyramid_lg.jpg&ei=RAmfVMvUG8nsoAS7k4LgDA&bvm=bv.82001339,d.cGU&psig=AFQjCNFLWuKsFI-Dyoy4ahLJUXcjn6w5Xw&ust=1419795132860409

[Reverend Jim]

If the opinion is that homeopathy is valid medicine then I suggest you do some research before abandoning those cancer meds for "medicine" which is no better (or different, really) than tap water. Sure, some things are obvious like "fitness improves health" but many are not.

[RikTelner]

If the opinion is that homeopathy is valid medicine

Of course it's valid medicine! Placebo worked for ages, and it still does!

[<M/>]

Placebo worked for ages, and it still does!

I think water is a great placebo... people give it to those that are hurt and "magically" it heals them when water has no healing abilities... :P

[almostbob]

Placebo works on the symptoms, right up til the patient dies of the disease

[almostbob]

Things to remember

a. There are no 130 year old homeopaths:
b. Every drop of water, every bit of air is associated in some way with Einstein, if there were any truth to associative medicine, we would all be geniuses, the questions asked disprove that beyond all contest.

TV health guru Gillian McKeith, 51 years old, right: advocates a vegetarian diet high in organic fruits and vegetables.

TV Cook Nigella Lawson, also 51 years old, below: advocates eating meat, butter and enjoying a good wine

90% of everything is crap

[HiHe]

Use your brain, don't be a sheep and follow blindly!

[45ish]

Yes, one important thing my mom always told me and I wish I could have listened, .. but I didn't have the means --- is to put some money away, build a little nest egg for hard times. Even if it is just a dollar or two a week, an amount you would never miss. You must put it away for twenty to thirty years, and keep the pratice during life.

[advent_geek]

Drink More Water to Be Healthy

[Leigh3]

Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl once wrote, “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” For most people, feeling happy and finding life meaningful are both important and related goals. But do happiness and meaning always go together? It seems unlikely, given that many of the things that we regularly choose to do – from running marathons to raising children – are unlikely to increase our day-to-day happiness. Recent research suggests that while happiness and a sense of meaning often overlap, they also diverge in important and surprising ways.

[SpectateSwamp]

Jogging is ok if someone is after You.

[Reverend Jim]

If you make a mistake, own it. When you apologize, make it sincere. Trust me, I've had a lot of practice at this.

[jwenting]

Rule number 1 - don't let anyone do your thinking for you.

including people who state rule number 1...
That's the paradox, isn't it :)
It's true though.

Trust, but verify.
If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
Carpe Diem
Live like there is no tomorrow, because there may not be.

Never trust lawyers, politicians, and priests.

Travel when you can. If you delay it until after you retire you'll find you have neither the money nor the health to do it.

[Aeonix]

If you're underage (-18). Cut quarter of your social time to learning your future ambitions (if you have any):

• Want to become programmer? Learn programming languages.
• Want to become actor? Learn how to act really well.
• Want to become Let's Player? Learn how to make funny jokes on the fly.

You'd be surprized, that when you choose your study route to your ambition. You are able to achieve anything, and you can help other people grow, in what you've already learned. But you're already years ahead, you can gladly tell "I have years of experience." and can truly show it.

There is no better thing than feeling you get, when you help other people, about things you've taught yourself or been taught by other people, and the people you're helping are satistified with your help. (this one is littlebit twirly, but makes sense, just read more logically)

almostbob (post about two women), power of Photoshop and face-wallpaper. I can wear hair-gel too, doesn't make look handsome ;)

[GrimJack]

If you are glisading down Mount Rainier - know your ice-axe arrest

[Suzie999]

Live a month without modern technology and electricity.
Perhaps the apocolypse will not come in your lifetime, but your eyes will open and your character reinforced.

[jkon]

We all make a journey and I believe that our current position to that would be quite different if that journey were alternated. But my advice to everyone else would be to find a job that doesn't feel like one but feels like a hobby. If you enjoy your work you will find your way to flourish even in most bad environments. That has to do with your personal life too because if you have that fulfillment with what you do will affect the way you live and treat others.

[happygeek]

It sucks. Then you die. Get over it. Get on with it.

[JamesCherrill]

So much in life depends on luck, but you can make yourself sa lucky person by:
1. Giving yourself chances to be lucky - eg it's wondeful luck to meet the person who will be your soul-mate. But you won't have much luck if you stay at home. So meet lots of people.
2. When you get a lucky opportunity grab it with both hands before it goes away.

[diafol]

My take on life (after some pretty bad shit) is this: carpe diem.

Squeeze every ounce of enjoyment out of each day. Obviously, don't get stupid about it, but ultimately we've got a limited amount of time on this plane of existence. Did you take your family on that skiing trip that you always promised? Or did your kids tell you that it was too late now since they had to look after their own kids?

Don't keep putting off that big thing you want to do. Do it now, you may find that life has an uncanny way of derailing your hopes and aspirations. Did you follow a dead-end career for 20 years because you were too scared to go it alone? Do it. Do it now.

Listening to Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying", pretty much sums up my take: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9TShlMkQnc