But trust me on the sunscreen.

[odditycollector]

On occasion of me stepping uncertainly into the wild terrains of adult existence, I thought I'd ask the advice of those who've been there before me and learned its systems of cartography. That is, the internets!

So, please share a few of the tips you've figured out along the way that have made your life just that little bit easier!

They can be simple and well known - maybe it really *is* easier if you install the toilet paper with the leading edge facing out! - or extremely, oddly specific - what *is* the best compass direction to face when writing love letters in a second story hotel room?

Who knows. Maybe they will make someone else's life just that little bit easier as well!
 

Comments

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

The thing about it being who you know rather than what you know? SO TRUE.

Figure out whether your goal in a given situation is to get your way or to have people admit you were right. Both is usually not going to happen.

If you don't already know, learn how to do public speaking. Quick cheat sheet: 1) PRACTICE. Run through it all first. At least twice. 2) Talk about half as fast as you think you should. Because you're talking about twice as fast as you think you are.

Lack of prior planning promotes piss-poor performance.

People will lie about you. Especially on the internet. That's just the way it is and you don't have to pay it too much mind.

This is one I got out of Orson Scott Card, of all things, but it's actually true. In many situations, there is a certain amount of awkwardness or embarrassment that is going to be experienced. The key is, the person who is going to experience it, that may be fungible: if you refuse to accept it, there is a very good chance it will devolve upon the other person. This is equally true in regards to the excellent advice above about not smiling at people who want to make your life harder, and to being willing to make a huge fuss about getting groped on the subway.