This was specific to calculus homework but it has turned out to be very good advice, "when you don't know what to do, do something". Often decisions can be paralyzing or problems can feel insurmountable but doing nothing is a choice. Very rarely is it the best one.
this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2026
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Your job is not your family. You owe them nothing. Do your job well and leave the work at the door when you leave at the end of the day. Unless you're an owner, every bit of extra work you do is you being robbed.
An okay plan applied immediately and vigorously is INFINTELY better than a perfect plan ten minutes too late.
Live below your means, but not too far.
Emotional and ready to quit your job/break up with someone/confront someone?
Write down what you want to say/write. WRITE IT ALL DOWN.
Wait 24 hours. Read it again.
Do you still think you should send it? Then send it.
80% of the time my issue was stupid and my reaction inappropriate, but because I kept my mouth shut, all I had to do was tear up a piece of paper.
Thanks dad. That’s served me well.
Also, even if you are making the right descision in breaking things off, often the more you say the more ammo/pain you are giving to the other party. Most of the time, the "wait 24h" trick makes you realize you are saying too much.
don’t waste too much time and energy trying to open some doors. Sometimes there’s a different path there waiting for you and sometimes the room is just not worth visiting
—
and one of the most precious things I ever heard, not even a straightforward advice, just pure, genuine gold:
„As a man, entire world can judge me and I don’t care all that much, I am not perfect, I make mistakes, I may fall, I may fail, I may hurt, I may help, I learn and I try my best.. and I am not scared of any of that, I can handle that.. or even learn how to handle it better. BUT as a father, only you and your brother can judge me and about that judgement.. I care the most and being a father is my biggest responsibility and the most scary thing I have ever done in my life and possibly will ever do. I know you are still young and you don’t have to but please just understand that as much as you can.“
Never make fun of someone's job. No matter how "beneath you" it is, somebody has to do it, and we should all appreciate that they do it.
What about looksmaxing influencers? I can make fun of their job right?
I think the jury is still out on whether or not that's a job, so I think it's allowed for now.
My brother keeps bringing up parking wardens and no matter how I'm trying to put myself in their (employer's) shoes, I'm unable to convince him.
No, your brothers right. Fuck those assholes.
Hey, there's always exceptions to the rule. 🤷🏻♂️
Everyone's got a job, so they can feed themselves at least
Also, they don't make the rules, they just implement them. They're not the cause, just the symptom. Go for the cause.
HR rep: if you’re gonna go down take people with you.
" You gotta be true to who you really are, cause no one's gotta wear the shoes you got "
Given to me by a former friend, high as a rocket to Venus, upon my stumbling attempt to come out to him twenty years ago
Only break one law at a time.
Thank you pops. It probably did keep me from fucking my life up (worse).
Learn how to deal with people.
No matter what you do in life you have to deal with people in some way. Even if they are paid to do what you tell them it's a huge difference if they put your request on the top or bottom of their pile.
Ask yourself the three things before you say anything.
- Does this need to be said?
- Does this need to be said by me?
- Does this need to be said by me now?
Craig Ferguson
This has been helpful for me in meetings since I have a tendency to talk more than I probably should.
Never compare yourself to others but only to yourself from the past.
Be grateful for what you have.
The three least heard words in the universe will serve you well, and often catch people off guard - don't be afraid to use them.
"I was wrong."
Admit your mistakes when they happen, then when something goes wrong no one will accuse you.
It's also not hard to do casually without having to grovel. My nursing subspecialty is violence management and I frequently respond to things with,"thank you for reminding me, I'm going to go do that now!" and,"I hadn't realized that was your preference, thank you for letting me know!" or,"that's a good thing to point out I'm glad you're being an active participant in your care!" You don't even have to say you're wrong half the time you can also just regularly tell people they're right.
definitely some layers to this advice for sure, situation and relationship matters!
Admitting a mistake is NOT the same as admitting weakness or stupidity.
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"Shut the fuck up."
Don't Panic
Might not ever be the best piece of advice, but it's always the second best piece of advice in any situation
This is a good piece of advice for hitchhiking around the galaxy
Always know where your towel is.
Did you sketch that frood, Triumph? Now there's a hoopy frood, who really knows where their towel is!
Back in college, we made a party punch that we called Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters, and you'd be able to drink maybe one red solo cup worth.
Go away from your home for college.
It will give you a chance to grow as a person.
From one of my high school math teachers.
Don't believe everything you think
religious people need to learn this especially
Learn not to give a fuck
A friend of mine who was struggling with homelessness and addictions, "In order for things to change, you've gotta change some things."
Simple yet profound.
If you have to whine or criticize something make sure to have a way to make it better. If you bring up a problem, bring up the solution with you.
This is great advice. I've heard it refined to "bring the energy to be part of the solution" - which clarifies that one doesn't have to have all the answers, but had better be willing to engage with solving whatever one complains about.
I really hate this advice.
You don't necessarily need to bring a solution.
The solution may come in many ways but the most important thing is bring the problem to the light so everybody become aware.
If you're not satisfied with something whine and criticize the hell out of it. If you're right others will show up and together we may find a solution.
Sometimes you feel something is wrong but not necessarily know how it can be fixed, but you know it's wrong.
Don't hold yourself from complaining just because you don't have a solution, bring whatever you feel to discussion.
A shit solution can absolutely be worse than the initial problem, for sure.
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Many things are only a big deal if you make them a big deal
This comment says things and I HAVE VERY LOUD FEELING ABOUT THAT!!!
Insert butterfly meme.
Is this a big deal?
The best thing I ever did was ignore the advice people gave me and figured out stuff on my own.
Because most advice I got was coming from a completely different universe and totally irrelevant to my own personal situation, and most advice-givers were straight up hypocrites, who were mostly only interested in me thinking they were great, when they were total jerks.
Its funny, because I've felt similarly in the past. But then I got some really great advice.
You aren't special. Your problems aren't that unique. There are already ready-made solutions for almost every problem you have, and your real problem is that you tell yourself that you are especially worse off and your problems are totally unique, because otherwise you would have to admit that the reason you keep failing is that you were just too dumb and lazy to do the obvious hard work everyone else was doing. So shut the fuck up and stick to the program as written. After you've finished the program, then you're allowed to criticize it.
May or may not be applicable to you. But it was what I needed to hear
Take a deep breath. Close your mouth. Hold your nose and then try to blow air out.
Cures hiccups.
Also... there are two kinds of people in this world:
- Those that do it
- Those that lie about doing it
Dad didn't have much good advice, but these two have held up over the years.
Cures hiccups.
I know it sounds bullshit, but I haven't had a long hiccup session (read: longer than ~4-5 hiccups) in more than a decade, possibly two: I chill the fuck out.
The instant it starts I take a deep breath, relax my esophagus/larynx/whatever, and put myself in the most Zen Buddha state of mind I can. I keep taking long, relaxed breaths. If another hiccup slips through I still remain a ketamine sloth, believing that it's just the one or few passing hiccup.
Most of the time I don't get a second (third) one. It's over in a matter of a few seconds.
There are two other types also. Those that want to be and those who want to have been.
The former love the work. The latter don’t want to put in the effort and want all the glory.
A relationship can only work if everyone is getting out of it what they need.
It's basically just a simple reminder to be attentive and care, but it's stuck with me. Most of my friends and my husband have been a part of my life for over twenty years now, so I think it works.
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"No permanent solutions to temporary problems." It is a double edged sword for me, but one that cut through some hard times. Police are trained to tell people this. One that was in cybercrime, doing a talk on AppArmor on Linux, mentioned this casualty and it stuck when I needed it.
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