Universal advice?

[Mathmo]

Something I've been thinking about for a while ... almost all the time, good advice depends hugely on the situation at hand. One person needs to hear that they should think highly of themselves; someone else needs to realise that they aren't all that and they need to think highly of others ... so oftentimes the perfect advice for one person is exactly the wrong thing to say to another person. Is there any universal advice?

I think there are 2 things that I would be pretty happy to tell anyone:
[*] be kind
[*] as much as it is up to you/you can, try to get to know a diverse range of people

Is there any advice that you would feel confident giving to anyone, anywhere?

[Sonic#]

A quick one - learn positively. This can be school learning, practical learning, improving a basic skill, adopting a technical skill, acquiring wisdom, reflecting on errors, or practice and reinforcement of things already learned. Take the extra moments to reflect on what you do. Never write off learning as a "school" thing that you don't do outside of school. Recognize all the forms of learning as forms of experience.

[Aum]

Don't panic.

[ladyhawk]

One thing I would always tell anyone (based on my own experiences with myself and others) is think before you speak. You can't always take what you say back later.

[spacefem]

1) Don't make emotional decisions.
2) Don't ever feel like you're too old or too far down a path to try something new.
3) Don't use spreadsheets as databases.

[Sonic#]

3) Don't use spreadsheets as databases.

Um. Full second on this one. >_>

[monk]

Don't panic.

and carry a towel.

1) Don't make emotional decisions.

when you have hard facts available. In the absence of hard facts, a kind emotional response is appropriate.


Try to actually live in the moment when you can. Don't autopilot your life.

[ladyhawk]

Another piece of good, universal advice my Mom always gave me: always bring extra underwear.

You never know when you're going to need them.

[Butterfly North]

Your life is your own.

[The Other Lizard]

Don't criticize without offering alternatives or at least suggesting a path that could lead to a solution.

1) Don't make emotional decisions.

I disagree with this one. It very much depends on the situation. I don't believe that is a universal piece of advice.

[Rainbow Dolphins]

Another piece of good, universal advice my Mom always gave me: always bring extra underwear.

You never know when you're going to need them.

I would add an extra pair of socks to this. I have actually needed the socks more often.

[monk]

plus, socks can be used as mittens if necessary.

[great girl wonder]

It is a far better thing to love than be loved; to adore than be adored. -Apology For Autumn by David Turrill

There is more purpose and fulfillment in loving and serving others than loving and serving ourselves.

[The Other Lizard]

other universal advice: don't lie to children.

[SakuraSong]

Don't lie to children.

But it's so fun!

For me, I think recognizing that there's no such thing as a bad choice is a very important piece of advice. People make plans, and most times they're straight and narrow plans. "When I'm this age, I'll be doing so and so, when I'm older, I'll be this and this". But there are other ways to get to it too.

[monk]

Don't take rules and laws too seriously. Most of the time the consequences for a first time law breaking are fines and probation. I'm not saying go out and hurt people, hurting people is wrong all on its own despite the laws made about it. What I'm saying is don't worry about laws and signs telling you where to go and where you can't. Think of "keep off the grass" as a suggestion.

[Mathmo]

other universal advice: don't lie to children.

Ooh, I like this. I remember reading a book where it said of one of the characters "... and because he always kept promises made to children ..." which I think is a really important corollary of what you've said - children remember. Don't make promises to them that you can't keep.

monk, isn't that really country/culture-specific? (As in, in some countries around the world punishments for law-breaking are really disproportionately harsh, and therefore it's not good advice there ...)

[monk]

monk, isn't that really country/culture-specific?

No, I don't think so. I am not advocating risking you own life and limbs any more than I'm advocating risking someone elses'. I am just saying that don't get into the habit of following rules just because they're there or they're posted. There are way too many rules, traditions and practices out there that are just being followed by rote with no real penalty for not following them.

I guess a better way to state it would be "don't just look for established shortcuts, look around and make a few shortcuts yourself"

[ladyhawk]

plus, socks can be used as mittens if necessary.

I just made this discovery because my son kept scratching himself on the face and all I had were socks to put over his hands. I second the sock thing.

[lillerina]

*You can only control your own behaviour.
*Don't do a thing you can't undo until you've considered what you can't do once you've done it.
Also, I think that the Desiderata is pretty universal.

there's no such thing as a bad choice

I really disagree with this. There are most certainly choices which are bad choices. There's normally more than one path to where you want to go, but some choices are bad choices.

[spacefem]

other universal advice: don't lie to children.

YOU HATE SANTA CLAUSE.

[God is an Englishman]

[ ] Be a Tottenham Hotspur Supporter
[ ] Use lateral thinking at all times.

[HelixLuco]

1) don't pick at the skin on the bottom of your feet.
2) If you don't use something at least once a year you can probably throw it away.

[Nic]

Be honest but kind with yourself; you always have room to grow.

*You can only control your own behaviour.
Also, I think that the Desiderata is pretty universal.

^Oh wow, I'd never heard of that until now. I really like it.

[JT in SC]

Don't lie to a child? Are you kidding me? Do you have children?

You have to. Times I have lied to my children and others and don't have a single pang of guilt:

Sitting through one of any number of endless athletic competitions with a book and missed that 30 seconds out of two hours that my precious actually did something. "Mom, did you see me ____?" "Honey, you were AMAZING!!"

Driving into the subdivision and seeing our cat in the road hit by a car and making a strange noise. "Mom, what is it?" "Nothing, sweetie, I just remember something I forgot at the store." I told them about the cat later. They really did not need to see that.

Their father and I were having a HUGE fight. I was actually thinking about leaving the SOB. "Mommy, why are you crying?" "Oh, I just got my feelings hurt a little bit, but I'm okay. It happens to everyone sometimes, right?"

I could go on all day. And that's before we get into the stuff from Uncle Hub's speech in Second Hand Lions - "Sometimes, the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage and virtue mean everything; that money and power... money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and love... true love never dies. You remember that boy, you remember that. Doesn't matter if they're true or not. A man should believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in."

I lie to my kids all the time. Because I love them.