Eight Common Pieces of Advice . . . That We Should Stop Following?

There are a bunch of sayings, mantras, and advice that people keep repeating . . . even though we all know they mostly ring hollow.  Or maybe they DO work for you?  A website has collected a list of common pieces of advice and sayings that we should STOP following because they’re outdated . . . or we just know better.

Here are a few:

1.  “Don’t go to bed angry.”  The idea is that it CAN be better than arguing when you’re tired and irritable.  And maybe things will seem different in the morning.

2.  “Never give up.”  Sometimes, if something isn’t working, you need to let go.

3.  “When there’s a bully, just ignore them.”  Most bullies won’t stop just because you ignore them.  Sometimes the situation needs to be addressed.

4.  “Don’t be afraid to do what you love, and the money will follow.”  This can be true, but it also could get you in a lot of trouble.  It’s possible to make money doing something you’re passionate about, but you’re still going to have to figure it out HOW . . . for most people, it doesn’t just happen magically on its own.

5.  “Tough it out.”  Not always.  Talk about it, take breaks, and think it over.  Take care of yourself and then keep going, or you’ll run yourself into the ground.

6.  “Forgive and forget.”  Someone said, “It should be ‘forgive, but don’t forget’ because nine out of 10 times, people’s poor behavior is part of a pattern.  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.”

7.  “Treat people how you want to be treated.”  Someone said, “You’ll be taken advantage of.  Instead, I treat people the way THEY treat me.”

8.  “Trust your gut.”  The spirit of this one is empowering, but for people with anxiety and other issues, their “gut” may be working against more compelling data and support systems.  One person said, “If it were up to MY gut, I’d never do anything.”

(Buzzfeed.com has more.)