2018 may be the current year, but we have twenty old, very uncurrent pieces of advice for getting through it:
1. Wars almost never make countries richer or happier, and should be avoided accordingly.
2. Reading the internet all day does not make you smarter.
3. Sending more texts and emails does not make you more productive.
4. You have an absolute right to say what you think is true. Other people may not like your views. Tough luck.
5. Friendship is more important than politics. So are sports, dinner, church, dogs, and most hobbies.
6. Attacking people because of their skin color is wrong. This is always true, no matter what the color is.
7. The beginning of wisdom is understanding how little you can control.
8. Gender is not a social construct. It's a biological reality. Men and women are inherently different, and not interchangeable. Pretending otherwise isn't just absurd and anti-science. It’s also a surefire way to make healthy relationships impossible and devastate society.
9. Animals are closer to humans than we think, and people are closer to animals.
10. No matter how many public safety agencies government bureaucrats invent, when it comes down to it, you’re responsible for yourself and your family. Best to know that and prepare ahead of time.
11. The only immutable law is the law of unintended consequences.
12. New and improved electronic devices rarely improve your life. Often they enslave you.
13. No text message or social media post is ever worth interrupting a meal with people you love.
14. The US government has only one duty, securing the well-being of American citizens. Yet relatively few people who work for the government actually believe that.
15. Charity begins at home. Before you send a check to fight malaria in Congo, or sponsor a Syrian refugee to come to Minneapolis, ask yourself why so many of our fellow Americans are living on the street or dying of drug overdoses, and what you can do to help.
16. Laws change. Customs and beliefs change. Human nature never changes.
17. Any food that makes your mouth water is likely bad for you.
18. History happened, whether you like it or not.
19. Want to make the world better? Raise decent children, preferably a lot of them.
20. In the end all that really counts is relationships with other people. No matter how successful you are, if your kids hate you, you've failed.
