I wouldn’t dare defile Douglas Adam’s memory by not mentioning that you should keep a towel with you at all times, but my second contender is a surprisingly short three-parter:
- never lie.
- never tell the whole truth.
- never pass up a chance to use a real bathroom.
Corporations aren’t your friend. Avoid the publicly-traded ones seeking quartely profits the most. If it isn’t a massive burden, find an alternative—avoiding some is better than none.
I’d add “Don’t defend any corp”.
Not just talking to the Tesla bros either. I mean ANY corp. Including Steam.
You can show support. But if/when they do something shitty, don’t be a bootlicker.
Same with working. I’ve worked at a few major tech companies. No matter how many rainforests they saved or houses they built. At some point, a bad decision will infuriate you, or a new directive will aim for profits and people lose their jobs.
They’re not your friend.
I read that as “don’t defend any cop” …Also good advice
People are more helpful if you’re nice to them.
Leave it better than you found it.
Goes for your home, your neighborhood, or something you’ve borrowed. It can be applied to the planet, the beach, the trail, the car, the job.
Hell, it even goes for people. Leave them a little happier, a little wiser, a little more prosperous than before.
Second rule, give people the benefit of the doubt and don’t attribute an action as the person. Did they cut you off on the road? They’re having a bad day and made a mistake. They’re speeding? Maybe they are on the way to see a loved one without much longer to live. Don’t call someone an asshole just because they made an asshole move. People are so much more than that one interaction with them.
Funny enough, these have analogs in programming!
Leave it better than you found it.
The Boyscouts rule! Clean up bad code if you can!
Second rule, give people the benefit of the doubt and don’t attribute an action as the person.
Sometimes you gotta write janky code to meet a deadline. That is not a personal failure. And give folks a break who do it too.
Hell, it even goes for people. Leave them a little happier, a little wiser, a little more prosperous than before.
I like that. Thank you. I’ll try.
Be kind
Simple and to the point, everyone should know and follow this. One of the best pieces of advice from the Dalai Lama
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
I prefer the words of the Dalton Lama: “Be nice. Until it’s time … to not be nice.”
Dalai Lama also wanted to tongue kiss a little boy on camera. What else can we learn from him? Getting on CIA payroll and selling away morals?
If someone says X, but does Y, this doesn’t mean they are not right about X.
Other example, if someone is raising public awareness about littering in nature and is then caught throwing a plastic bottle into a forest, does that mean they are wrong?
Sure, it’s shitty, but that doesn’t make them wrong in saying that people shouldn’t do it, even if they are not living up to their own words.
Bet there are some lessons we could learn from Hitler, Goebbels and Churchill too! I do not trust a CIA sellout pedophile. I will get my life lessons from elsewhere, because there is nothing unique to what he has ever said.
Rewind
No matter how kind you are, the German children are kinder.
Brush your teeth and floss
And your belly button. Often forgotten, but an unwashed innie stinks!
I did the grave mistake of shoving my nose in one without proper cleaning.
I had to pretend I was choking on my own spit not to offend the girl.
Thank you for this reminder. I always had a nice open easy to clean one, but recently had a hernia surgery where my bellybutton got rearranged. Now it’s a tight little crevasse, and I’ll need to start paying special attention to cleaning it out.
Sometimes good enough is good enough.
It’s okay to ask for help.
If everywhere you go smells like shit, check your shoes.
So is this intended as kind of a metaphor or is this mainly aimed at people who have literally stepped in real shit?
It’s a metaphor for people who smell whipped cream all the time, they should check on top of their head.
Pretty sure its a metaphor for being an asshole
It’s both
Both. It’s like the saying “Governing a big country is like cooking small fish.” (With the explanation that if you keep poking it, it’ll disintegrate) also taught me how to cook fish as well as realpolitik.
The fish advice was most useful.
If everyone around you is an asshole, you’re the asshole.
This is a metaphor for life in general. If you find that all your interactions are negative, check yourself. Are you the problem in your relationships and interactions? How can you fix that? Clean your shoes.
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Ride smooth not fast has won me some mountain bike races.
I first heard it in the context of carpentry, but I’ve since heard it in kitchens as well.
“Fast” is the biggest number in a straight line. Life rarely offers straight lines.
Every line is straight in a subset of coordinate systems.
you can be skilled at cornering too, that will make you faster on them
It’s true, but you need the skill, and buying an expensive car will only get you so far.
If it sounds too good to be true - it probably is.
If you don’t have time to do something right what makes you think you have time to do it twice?
Respect other people’s time. When dealing with a busy person in a professional context;
- Emails should be as short as possible while still conveying the needed information, don’t make a busy person excavate the relevant info from somewhere near the middle of the fifth paragraph.
- Whenever possible phrase a question in a way that can be answered in one word.
Whenever possible phrase a question in a way that can be answered in one word.
That’s a good one! I would also add: When asked a question, determine whether this question can be properly answered in one word. If possible do it!
This is particularly directed at my wife 💋
When dealing with a busy person in a professional context;
- Emails should be as short as possible while still conveying the needed information, don’t make a busy person excavate the relevant info from somewhere near the middle of the fifth paragraph.
- Whenever possible phrase a question in a way that can be answered in one word.
Not a fan of this. Feels like a result of over-optimization in a capitalistic, profti-driven society.
We are humans. Not machines. So treat each other like that. If you like to write a couple of more words to express yourself or some issue in a way that feels representing, go for it. Doesn’t mean to escalate this into a novel, but it’s fine to take a pause and talk more.
Evaluate how much something matters based on 1 day, 1 month, 1 year.
I.E. How upset should you be over [Thing]? Will it matter in one day? One month? One year? That helps perspective a bunch. You can use any variation of time really, the point is perspective
Came here to say this. Always a good piece of solid advice IMO
Everything in moderation; including moderation.
Sometimes you gotta go all out!
(But do so in moderation)
Money is not the only medium of exchange.
Found the Ferengi.
Rule of acquisition #39: A favor is the most powerful type of debt.
If you find yourself in a hole, first step is to stop digging.
Reminder me of this
“What to do if you find yourself stuck with no hope of rescue: Consider yourself lucky that life has been good to you so far. Alternatively, if life hasn’t been good to you so far - which, given your present circumstances, seems more likely - consider yourself lucky that it won’t be troubling you much longer.” Douglas Adams
