The unfortunate thing about advice is that we rarely take it. For some reason, most humans believe they can reinvent the wheel themselves every second instead of using the blueprint from someone else’s experience. We think we’re the wisest and the smartest until we learn better. Well, let’s try and change that today and potentially save our selves a lot of heartache with this thread started by u/5000Castillo on r/AskReddit.
“What felt like a useless piece of advice until you actually tried it?” they wanted to know.
Some of the advice is general, about how to treat other people and approach life. Other tidbits are incredibly specific. I now know how to prevent ingrown hairs and I’m so, so grateful. I will take that advice and I bet there’s some advice in here that you should take, too. But you probably don’t believe me and will have to read it for yourself:
1.
This too shall pass. On those days when I just feel like I can’t take it I think of that, and I know tomorrow will be different. Someone once told me, “tomorrow may not be better, but at least it’ll be different.” In a strange way that too is comforting. —rakmode
2.
My therapist told me the next time I’m going to have a panic attack to just give in and tell myself it was ok to have one. I told him he was crazy. After a couple tries it started working to my amazement. I haven’t had a panic attack in 3 years. —Donkey0394
3.
Once begun is half done.
I am a terrible procrastinator by nature. I have totally done the “well now it 5:02 so I have to wait until 6:00 to start cleaning” and I like making things seem like Soo much work that I can’t possibly do them unless I take time off of work. In reality if you just start a project without thinking about it you can get everything done in like fifteen minutes a day and it’s never really that bad. —stabatha_christie
4.
My grandfather told me this and I never understood it until I had my own place. Always buy the cheap tools at first and if you wear it out/break it then you use it enough to justify getting a nicer more expensive one. —the-silliest-goose
5.
Keeping my shoulders back. It was a suggestion I saw for preventing panic/anxiety. Idk what it is, but when your shoulders are in that position it gives some strange feeling of control. I also read somewhere that during panic attacks the body basically wants to curl into fetal position for protection, so I feel like focusing on keeping your arms down and shoulders back is a conscious way to go against that and stay grounded in reality. Works for me, could work for you too. —coralclouds
6.
“A stupid question is better than a stupid mistake” —Pikiinuu
7.
“There’s what you need, there’s what you want, and there’s what you can’t afford.”
My Dad says this all the time, and I never though of it as useless–I just never used it. Now I have, and my money is far easier to manage. —Ekscalliber
8.
If you can tell that someone is going to hit you, tilt your head down. Teeth don’t grow back. Your jaw is lights out. If they punch the top of your skull, they will probably break their hand. Always be drunk. —Alcoholitron
9.
Putting cold water on freshly shaved skin will make it so you don’t get ingrown hairs. Some of the best advice I’ve ever received. —VHStape89
10.
Directly expressing my needs instead of hinting. —grapesofap