Conventional wisdom doesn't always make for sound advice. Below are some of the worst pieces of advice I have ever encountered.
- "Fake it til you make it." - What about being real until you make it? Being fake won't get you anywhere, and even if it does, you won't trick people for long before they catch on. Be real, because that's refreshing in a world of masks. Thr refreshment of realness will naturally propel you to your destiny, even if it takes a little while.
- "If you want to be successful, then you have to work all night and sleep less." - False. If you want to maximize productivity and prolific quality output (producing meaningful stuff), then you're going to have to get eight hours of sleep every night because lack of sleep is the quickest way to depression and suffering states. Nothing good is produced in suffering states.
- "Respect your elders." - Age is a number that signifies, well, how old someone is, and it does not double as an indicator of respect deserved. Feeling that you inherently deserve respect simply because you are older than someone is a form of entitlement. Respect is earned.
- "Be a man/Stay Strong - Feel your emotions, get in touch with them, learn from them. Hiding your emotions for the sake of "staying strong" is a sure path to long-term misery. This is especially true for men because society tells us to "be a man" and we are not expected to show our emotions. This why men are 3.53 times more likely to commit suicide than women.
- I'd rather hustle 24/7 than slave 9 to 5." - You don't have to hustle 24/7 to avoid slaving 9 to 5. By the way, geniuses are lazy, and so am I. I optimize my life to be as efficient as possible with my time. If you're going to hustle, hustle intelligently.
