topic Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE? in Community Chat

WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Tinkrbl44 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 03:30:27 GMT

Sometimes we receive well-meaning advice, but it's just not right for us ... for any number of reasons.

What have you been advised to do that would have been a disaster ... or a mistake ... to follow?

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Carmie — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 04:07:04 GMT

I am not gonna touch this question with a 10 ft pole!

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

elated — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 06:36:06 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 Why don't you answer your own question? It would be interesting to see what you thought didn't work.

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Flatbush — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 07:07:09 GMT

@Tinkrbl44

What do you need a computer for anyhow?

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Tinkrbl44 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 07:48:11 GMT

@elated wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 Why don't you answer your own question? It would be interesting to see what you thought didn't work.

@elated

I was short of time but wanted to post the question.

What prompted my question ...

This afternoon I listened to an interview of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and she was asked that question. Briefly, her answer was that she tried new things and worked to meet friends in college. Her parents would have preferred her to wear traditional clothing and stick to studying, rather than socializing. She said she would have missed so much if she'd followed her parents' advice when she went to college.

Me, personally .... I had a rather overbearing older aunt who told me it would be a waste of my parents' money to go to college because "you're only going to get married and have kids, anyway".

(In all fairness to that older aunt, it was the era ... early 1960s. It was a common attitude.)

Thankfully, my parents didn't see it that way.

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Tinkrbl44 — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 07:29:27 GMT

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Roscoe the Rascal — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:19:02 GMT

I can't really remember any and always been good at making my own decisions.

Might have been something but couldn't been too much cause I can't remember.

I'm sure something about my choice of dates. Ended up with a good one and was married for 46 years.

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Mombo1 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:31:18 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 I was in Graphic Arts for 15 years and enjoyed the profession..... but I always wanted to work with kids..so I went back to school at the age of 40 to get my degree in teaching. I had some people ask me why....They felt that teaching didn't pay well and some people tried to discourage me.... Well... it was the best move for me and I'm glad I ignored those comments...I loved working with the little people for 21 years. I'm now retired and miss those days. It's not always about the money.

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Mom2Dogs — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:53:12 GMT

@Mombo1 a bit off topic........ My husband and I own a small printing business..we were the first in our county to have 'desktop publlishing' equipment and I always had an Apple computer..what a change from the traditional way of working with graphics and setting text.

I was so green, but loved working with the computer and learning how to create brochures, flyers, etc...as well as form work for customers.

The 'DUMMIES' books were my friend..we lived in a rural area and no one could help me.....I always wish I had gone to school to learn how to do things the right way...fast forward (we opened our business 40 years ago!) to the end of this year, my husband and I are retiring, selling our business...now I am showing the new owner the ropes..and I am encouraging her to do some on line classes if possible.

The printing business has changed a lot over the years.

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

jlkz — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:26:56 GMT

@Tinkrbl44

Yours was an overbearing aunt, mine was an overbearing uncle who was a lawyer.

I lived at home and worked 4-5 summers at a chemical company from 16 until I graduated from college. Both parents worked there in different departments. I paid for my tuition each semester.

I did well in math and the uncle wanted me to major in it because his friend's daughter did. Since I hated math, I chose French instead. Luckily I landed a phenomenal job and received many promotions until I left at 40 and started a journey through many careers that I enjoyed. Oh yes, he finally conceded that I may have earned more than the other person !

Second piece of advice ignored: Use my experience in counseling that would translate into credits towards a doctorate in that field. When I went through the brochure, I literally had a visceral response: No ! I would never subject myself to anyone having control over my success.

Folks in academia are wary of those who crossover from the corporate world...been there, done that and never again.

Looking back, I did it my way....and have helped others do likewise successfully.

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Group 5 minus 1 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:31:36 GMT

"Girls don't need math or science. So why bother taking it?"

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Meowingkitty — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:34:36 GMT

When we bought this house in 1986 there was nothing around us. A few stores and the area was just developing. It was considered out in the sticks. Why would you want to drive that far people would say. Now we have every restaurant, doctor, movie theater, shopping, gym and anything else you can think of within a couple of miles of us.

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Jo1313 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:36:12 GMT

Not me..DH didn't take his mother's advice!

She told him more than once "why are you marrying a "fat" Italian girl?..You could do much better!"

Almost 56 yrs. of being married "to the fat Italian girl"..he made the right choice!

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

PhilaLady1 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:29:52 GMT

I can't think of any advice given to me as a young person that i was smart to ignore. But there was plenty of advice given to me by my parents that I was stupid to ignore.

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Laura14 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:29:58 GMT

You'll be sorry you never had children.

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

LyndaGee — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:49:41 GMT

When we were adopting our cat Rosebud, the lady at the shelter warned us she was a "biter," and maybe we should reconsider. Well, she got over the biting in a couple of months, and we had her for over 16 happy years. She ws worth a few marks!

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

Puzzle Piece — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:51:28 GMT

Don't marry him.

You will be sorry you never want to have children.

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

deepwaterdotter — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 16:16:04 GMT

"A woman needs to give birth to children to feel fufilled."

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

tansy — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:29:25 GMT

I was advised to marry a rich orphan.

Re: WHAT'S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WERE SMART TO IGNORE?

lgfan — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:22:50 GMT

@Laura14 wrote:
You'll be sorry you never had children.

I also got that advice. I am in my sixties and I am not sorry I didn't have children.