How is a slow, passive action better than a direct “hands on” approach?
October 24, 2017
The Responsibility of Using the Creative License
March 3, 2018
Rahul
This article was originally published on Quora as an answer.
Do not take your dental hygiene lightly.
You have 32 teeth, ask dentist and you’ll realize each one can cost you more than their weight in gold. And if that’s not enough try taking a trip to a dentist and spend some quality time on that chair!
Never debate with religious people.
You will never win, and they will stop being nice to you. So enjoy the free lunches and keep your mouth shut.
Do not wonder about the “purpose of life.”
It is a depressing ditch. Believe me, I have spent a lot of time there.
Do not update your social media display pics too often.
The identity that you project on social media is always more romantic than your real life. Those hundreds of likes on your display pic may gives you a boosted sense of self importance and may feed your need for attention. If you fall in love with your own projection of your Facebook life, you know something needs to be changed.
Do not make big goals.
Make micro goals and make a system to achieve them continuously. Continuous stream of small achievements can fill you up with confidence and add a lot of value to your daily life. Having big goals is like gambling. Even if you beat all the odds and win big, you still won’t be satisfied for long. System of micro goals is like investment, it will slowly but steadily compound into big and more stable wealth of achievements.
Do not believe in miraculous success stories.
One of the perks of being successful is that you get to boast about yourself and people still take you seriously. Do not fall in that trap. Success stories are often over romanticised and overdramatised for bagging claps. Take them with a pinch, rather a fist of salt.
Do not be overly altruistic.
Helping someone who does not need your help doesn’t do any good. Tying your self-worth to your selflessness can practically damage you. And even when your help is appreciated, it if comes too easy every time, it will lose its worth. Be good, be kind but be slightly selfish.
Do not be self-righteous.
Living with too many scruples sucks. Chances are, your views will change with your age. If you define your rights and wrongs too rigidly, you might have to eat them later. Live on axiomatic principles and have a flexible belief system.
Do not believe your superiors when they say they are “open to criticism.”
No they really aren’t. At Least not from their subordinates. The healthy criticism that you may like to dispense might not be healthy for you.
Do not watch romantic movies.
At Least not with your partner. It can screw your life. You will be perennially expected to do for free, what actors on screen do for a hefty sum.
Do not say “no” very often.
There is a lot for you to gain beyond every “yes.” Moreover saying “no” more than “yes” destroys the gravity of your “no.”
Do not skip family gatherings.
Even if you have an aunt who always compares you with her kids, even if you have an uncle who can’t help giving you superfluous life advice, even if you have cousins who are more successful than you are and even if you have never won a debate with your mom (no one has), try to attend family gatherings as far as you can. Think of it as a healthy torture.
Never drink bad alcohol. Never drink in bad company. Never drink in bad mood.
These are the three rules of happy drinking. Never drink if any of these conditions are violated. Oh… and never drink alone.
Never send a mail without proofreading.
Read it at least once before sending. Watch out for CCs if you are replying to a mail. Pay attention to punctuation and spelling mistakes. Remember, autocorrect is like your friend who never misses a chance to embarrass you.
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Just like everyone else, you don’t matter.
Rahul is a hobbyist writer, a passionate engineer, a photography enthusiast and currently an entrepreneur working for his own startup. Curious brains may drop him a “hello” on his LinkedIn profile. You can also follow him on Quora. Or visit his Photoblog.
