Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Which Pieces Of Advice Are Exclusively Good In Theory, Not In Practice

People Break Down Which Pieces Of Advice Are Exclusively Good In Theory, Not In Practice
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

In an ideal world, every piece of well-thought out advice would be foolproof. If every bit of knowledge that was passed down to you worked every single time, well, more people would be open to receiving it. But that's not the case. Here are some pieces of advice that work best in theory, but not so much in practice.

u/josh_carling asked: What is good advice in theory but awful in practice?



Good point.

"The right person will come, don't sweat it"

Not if you're rotting indoors all day every day and don't bother with hygiene or anything resembling fashion. I get what people mean when they say it, but a lot of the time it comes across like "Do nothing, make no effort". I see people give that advice a lot to others that are down on their luck, and it's a nice sentiment, but don't get the wrong idea... a lot of it is luck, but you have to put yourself in a position to be lucky in the first place, if that makes sense.

lightningheels

It's ok to give up sometimes.

Giphy

"Never give up."

There are times when you absolutely should give up, quite a lot in fact.

pausebreakalex

Had I taken this advice in college my final GPA would have been MUCH better- but I refused to drop classes I was failing.

stos313

True.

Be yourself. No, be the best person you can possibly be. Don't be lazy, mean, or a pushover.

Noclasshere

"Be yourself. Unless 'yourself' is an a**hole."

CoyoteTheFatal

THIS.

If you keep going into a place you applied for a job and ask to talk to the manager you'll get the job eventually.

I'm sure this worked before the internet but no one wants you to keep bugging them for a job in 2020.

Administrative-Koala

My dad told me to go into Dollar Tree and told me to tell the manager that I'm not leaving until I have a job there...

The manager almost called the cops on me.

Kinsloth12

Bad advice.

Giphy

If you ignore bullies they will just go away.

threedogafternoon

Honestly the best advice I ever got on bullies was to just beat them up.

Though nowadays there's cameras everywhere so I wouldn't recommend it unless you can make it look like self defense.

IShallPetYourDogo

The sad truth.

If you try hard enough you'll get what you want

Sometimes it just doesn't happen. It doesn't mean you stop trying but it's not guaranteed. Usually trying brings its own rewards - new skills, met new people etc.

popcorndragon93

It is possible to commit no errors and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is life. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard

fryingpas

Fair.

"You can become anything you want to".

Statistically no. You can't. You should maximise your opportunities and options. If you're a 5'6" kid with no athletic skill and a heart condition, you're not making the NBA no matter how hard you try.

karma_dumpster

Prepare for the worst.

Giphy

"Everything happens for a reason."

"It'll all work out in the end."

Any of those BS one liners don't hold water. Can you do something about the problem? Yes? Then do. No? Then prepare for the fallout.

My only advice is this: "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

im-a-guy-like-me

You shouldn't want to trade lives with anybody.

I saw a meme recently that said, "never take advice from someone you wouldn't trade lives with." Sounds great, until you realize that you can learn from others' mistakes...they could be giving you valuable advice on what not to do and how to avoid the pitfalls that ensnared them.

BananaFanaFoFaustin

Respect your elders. I don't care how old you are, if you're a d*ck I'm not going to give you respect because of your age.

RemoteConsequence9

Theres that old Tumblr adage of the different uses of respect.

Some people respect you as an authority.

Some people respect you as a person.

Some say, If you don't respect me I won't respect you.

But they mean, if you don't respect me as an authority, I wont respect you as a person.

That sh*t don't fly with me.

TheHeroicLionheart

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Ethan Hawke Shares Important Lesson He Learned From Robin Williams On Set Of 'Dead Poets Society'

Actor Ethan Hawke has become a Hollywood legend in his own right, but his career started with being a child actor learning from the greats, like Robin Williams.

The two co-starred in Dead Poets Society, one of the greatest films of the 1980s. It was a breakout role for Hawke and one that solidified Williams as a dramatic actor after a career mostly focused on comedy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of California's statement
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; cdss.ca.gov

Blue States Are Taking A Page Out Of Trump's Playbook With Alerts About SNAP Benefits

President Donald Trump and his administration are facing criticism as blue states post alerts about the loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as a result of the Trump administration's failure to spend contingency funds to feed people on the program, a decision that is resulting in a nationwide hunger crisis impacting millions of families.

State officials have announced plans to inform visitors that if they’re alarmed by the pause in SNAP benefits beginning November 1 due to the shutdown, they should direct their frustration at the Republican Party.

Keep ReadingShow less
Photo of a female hand holding up a pink paper heart that is on fire.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Signs A Relationship Is Over Even If The Couple Hasn't Broken Up Yet

Love is a many-splendored thing... until it's not.

Not all love stories have a happy ending.

Keep ReadingShow less
Morgan Freeman; Diane Keaton
Arnold Jerocki/WireImage/Getty Images; Pierre Suu/Getty Images

Morgan Freeman Reacts To Learning Diane Keaton Said He Was Her All-Time Favorite On-Screen Kiss

On Thursday, veteran actor Morgan Freeman was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the host had news to share with the Oscar winner.

The late actress Diane Keaton named Freeman as her favorite on-screen kiss. The pair starred as a long-married couple in the 2014 film 5 Flights Up.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Marjorie Taylor Greene
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images; Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Ted Cruz Slams Marjorie Taylor Greene For Becoming 'Very Liberal'—And People Can Not

Speaking on CNBC's Squawk Box, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz criticized his GOP colleague, Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, for being "too liberal" after she criticized their fellow Republicans over wages and healthcare amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Cruz specifically cited Greene’s criticism of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and noted that, back in July, she became the first Republican in Congress to describe the crisis in Gaza as a “genocide.”

Keep ReadingShow less