Advice You Would Give to Your 12 Year-Old Self?

urbazewski asks: "If you could send a message back to your nerdy unpopular 12 year old self, what would you say? I've been asking this one for several years, and the replies sound suspiciously like the lame advice I got from adults at that age ('just be yourself, dear'). The most creative answer was from an American-born Buddhist monk, who didn't think his 12 year old self would listen to a message along the lines of 'Hey, what you're doing is kind of making things suck for me right now' --- he would send a message to himself by adding extra lyrics to a song he really liked when he was in junior high school. I got the best replies from a large class at UC Santa Cruz. The modal answer was 'Buy Microsoft.' About 7% of the class said 'Enjoy yourself in high school because college is really hard.' Another 7% said "Study harder in high school because college is really hard.' (The best variant on that theme: 'Try to figure out what "studying" is'). In the hindsight-is-20/20 dept. there was a girl who said 'Do not date the following people...' and then listed six names and a guy who said 'You know how you're thinking about trying to drive your dad's car? Don't!.' My personal favorite: 'You're a dork now, but don't worry, you'll be cool when you're in college.'"

Advice!

[Karl Cocknozzle]

Two bits of advice:

1) Don't go to college until you're ready to study hard, because if you don't study hard at undergrad, other options are not as easily accessible to you in the future. (Graduate school, doctoral study, etc...)

2) Play sports. If you're any good, it'll get you laid, and no matter what will make you a well-rounded person who can fight like hell for something, but accept defeat if you must.

Slashdot

[gabeman-o]

never visit slashdot.org... hardest addiction to break

Save!

[sdo1]

Start saving. Now. Put 15-20% of every penny your earn in the bank (or IRA, or other investments). You'll be debt free and have enough to retire on by the time you're 45.

Sadly, I don't have a time machine, so I'm on the "work until I'm 65" route.

-S

Easiest response ever

[Wrexs0ul]

"Just do it. You know the smart thing to do and say, don't hold back."

and: "Next Thursdays winning lotto numbers are:..."

-Matt

Follow your dreams early in life...

[maddogsparky]

Follow your dreams early in life...they are easier to achieve when you start earlier.

this one's easy

[liquidsin]

Dear 12 year old me,

Someday your mom is gonna want to "get rid of some of your old junk" by which she means baseball cards, your first gen Transformers, and probably those really nice old school metal Tonka trucks. Do NOT let her!

Thanks,

your 24 year old self

Talking to my Inner 12 year old

[Wyatt Earp]

1. Get in shape - I started lifting weights too late in life and ended up hurting myself.

2. Invest in Intel, Microsoft, Apple and Cisco - 100 bucks in each company

3. Learn spanish

4. When you have that desire to drive 120 mph out on Highway 212 - don't, there might be a South Dakota Highway Patrolman there in the dark

5. Take more math classes

6. Take more automotive, welding and shop classes

7. Work to get out of high school in 3 years.

8. Girls come and go, don't get to wound up in a 17 year old chick

9. Don't buy a bunch of tapes or CDs now, Napster will come along someday

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Simple

[ScannerBoy]

Hakunamatata....It doesn't matter, it's in the past.

I am who I am today because of the trials and tribulations of "growing up." To make any changes to that would result in a completly different person.

I needed to be a nerd in High School to learn self pride and relaince...I needed to get my heart broken once in college to learn my alcohol tolerances.. After that you pick up your pieces and move on to bigger and better things.

Advice..

[j_kenpo]

1: Stay away from the girl up the street, she really is a tramp.

2: Smoke more pot... or is that less

3: Dont invest in Enron or Worldcom.

Seriously, nothing. I didnt make bad choices nor do I regret anything Ive done (except maybe item number 1). Without the life experiences Ive had, I wouldnt be where I am today, which is to say maybe not all that wealthy, but definitly happy. Now if I could give all my knowledge to my 12 year old self it would be a different story...

Advice

[Anonymous Coward]

Learn to love yourself, and everyone around you. It will give you great power in your life.

The past is gone...

[GreenJeepMan]

You shouldn't worry about what you could have done differently in the past. If you could send yourself a message and actually change something, there would be a whole new branch of problem and mistakes that you would most likely want to change again, and again... and again.

If you don't like something about yourself, don't fret over it. Change it starting now.

Relax a little

[unfortunateson]

Spend some of that money you're saving for college and do Spring Break right when you're a freshman or sophmore. You'll never get another chance.

Or go to Europe right out of school. Screw that idea of a job right away. They can wait a couple months.

I'm a dork....

[Anonymous Coward]

...but as my girlfriend explained, the difference between highschool and college is:

In high school you make fun of the dorks, and in college you make friends with them.

Apparently somewhere after graduation they figure out that we can help them do well on tests/homework.

My advice

[SplendidIsolatn]

Don't spend so much time worrying about and planning for the future--no matter how smart you think you are at 12, or 16, or 20, your plans never work out the way you expect them to--you can only control yourself--not the world around you.

Within reason, enjoy the present, make sensible decisions, and enjoy the time you have, since in the future, you'll look back and wish you had.

Let your first girlfriend go...

[revision1_1]

...and don't sweat the breakup so much, because you end up marrying the next one. Everything turns out all right.

(actually, this is to my 16-year-old self)

To my 12 year old self...

[countzer0interrupt]

"Sex isn't a reason to live, just the reason you're alive."

Advice to avoid many later frustrations

[Fratz]

Remember the bell curve and where you are on it. That's why most people will not know what the hell you're talking about, and that's why you should cherish the people who do.

12 is too young

[coyote-san]

In many ways 12 is too young - the best advice in the world is worthless if you don't have the ability to do anything about it.

But a few years later, I have some advice that I would give to my younger self - and that I'm still trying to follow past 40:

1. it's far better to regret things that you've done than things that you didn't risk. (Okay, maybe this isn't the best advice for a teenager...)

2. your PE teacher is an idiot, but time spent on physical fitness is not wasted. Get to the gym. Lift weights. Run. You'll get back the time spent today in increased productivity for years to come.

Nothing that would have made a difference.

[Elwood P Dowd]

I'd say, "Don't worry about getting shot down by girls. You'll never be able to have sex with high school girls again without serious legal consequences. Go for it. Time spent not having sex is time wasted."

Aside from that... life became excellent for me, starting exactly at the end of seventh grade. So I turned things around for myself at the age of 12. It just took the beginnings of some self confidence.

I have been doing this, sort of.

[Unknown Poltroon]

Im 30, i have a 15 year old neice. Im her uncle whos a bad influence. She has a very chauvanitsic dad, and an old fashoned mom who goes along with it. SO my sister and I have taken to buying her science related presents, advising her on how to start drinking in college, I taught her how to sharpen a knife properly for the girl scouts, and have basically told her all the stuff that i wish i had known at 15. Sex hasnt come up yet, but she hasnt asked.

Re:Dont bang that ugly chick with the clap!

[Library Spoff]

yeah dead funny.

STI's are on the increase. Herpes and Genital Warts are for life. you may have no symptoms and pass em on to someone you care about. you've worn rubbers. then the first time you do it without one. hey presto genital herpes.

I know i'm maybe being oversensitive. I laugh at lots of things that don't affect me. but STI's ain't a laughing matter...

Simple answer:

[cnoocy]

It gets better.

Learn languages

[oZZoZZ]

Not programming languages, but real (verbal/written) langugaes.. .. I've been struggling learning French, Japanese and German over the past 6 years, and wishing I had started at an earlier age..

Tourism

[gornar]

Go to the top of the WTC on September 9, 2001. LEAVE NEW YORK THE NEXT DAY.

More advice

[ucblockhead]

Twenty-five years from now, when you post on slashdot, read the whole article rather then responding to the title, so you don't look like a putz, responding with a "joke" that's in the article itself.

Here's mine...

[X-Nc]

I'm 40 now so I'd probably want to go back to when I was 20 or 25 rather than 12. However, this is what I'd say to my 12 year old self:

Psudo-serious: "Do not go out with that girl your senior year in HS! She will ruin the next ten years for you WRT women."

Totally-serious: "Tell your dad you love him more often and spend more time with him. You will not have him around as long as you think."

Take risks

[Flamesplash]

I've learned that any embaressment incurred in Jr. High and High School don't really matter later on. So take the chance when you are afraid of being embaressed, in the long run you only have something to gain.

High School sucks then things improve

[John Harrison]

I would tell myself that the next few years of school are going to be uncomfortable socially but that it won't be the end of the world. College is much better and things seem to get better still after that.

Our society's glamorization of high school is sickening to me. All these movies and tv shows portray high school as the apex of one's life. This is simply a lie. If high school is the highlight of your life then something is very very sad and/or wrong.

Other than that I wouldn't tell myself too much. It would ruin the surprises. I certainly wouldn't tell myself who I was going to marry for instance. In fact doing so would probably prevent it from happening.

Some thoughts

[anomaly]

1. Your dad is not a dope. Tell him that what you want more than anything in the world is to be able to spend more time with him. He will be dead before you are thirty and it will be too late.

2. You're not as smart as you think you are. Coasting through jr high/high school will make college a LOT harder. Learn how to learn now because you will need those skills the rest of your life, and largely your ability to earn a living is directly correlated to assimilation of technical information and people skills.

3. Most importantly, being a Christian is NOT about going to church or getting a "get out of hell free card." Jesus Christ wants you to serve Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Your current approach of "how much can I get away with and still go to heaven" doesn't work now, and won't work for the rest of your life.

Peace, contentment, and real/deep/meaningful relationships are found when your greatest desire is to please God and serve Him.

Do not do too good on tests

[takev]

The one thing I would tell myself is try and purposly get a low, just passing grade on tests.
When you know you can get a A, it is very easy to just make mistakes on purpose, you know you are good, but other people won't know.

I found people are more nicer to you when you get low grades, and it took me too long to find this out.

Your grades will have nothing to do with your future as no employer will look at them.

Hang in there, kid......

[Anonymous Coward]

Cheesy, I know, but I wouldn't give him any real advice, just encouragement along the lines of "don't give up". Not that I expect he would, anyways, since I didn't. But the point is, I hated my life when I was 12. Everything sucked all through high school, and then magically things just got better and better after that. And most of it was because of what I was doing during the period when life sucked, so I wouldn't want any of that to change.

Here's my conversation with the 12-year-old me:

"Okay me, you know how you've got almost no friends, a complete lack of social skills, you never go out, you're convinced you'll die a virgin, all you ever do is hide in the basement playing your guitar and playing with your computer? Well...

• Keep playing your guitar. Eventually you will form a band, disband, form another (repeat many times), and finally end up in a band that will release three albums and tour 8 countries. You'll see the world, meet lots of people (yes, even girls), sign autographs, get drunk in countries where you don't even speak the language, and generally have a blast.
• Keep paying little attention in school. It'll take you three attempts at post-secondary education before you finally finish it and start a career (see the next point), but you'll have a lot of fun in the meantime (see previous point)
• Keep playing with your computer. Eventually, after retiring from the music scene, you'll return to school, graduate, and start a really cool and relatively high-paying career in the IT industry. You'll finally get to stop developing software in your basement for fun, and actually start getting paid to do it. Plus, you'll get to continue doing it for fun whenever you feel like it. Oh ya, and wait till you see what computers are like now....
• Keep spending your time alone. Eventually, you will be forced to discover your social skills (see first point), and you'll find that it's not that hard. You'll still value your "alone time", only you'll get much less of it, so enjoy it while you can.
• Finally, I promise you won't die a virgin. 'Nuff said on that."

PSST HEY KID

[t0qer]

PSSST Hey kid, come here...

Ya I know Ronald and Nancy Reagan are saying "Don't talk to strangers" right now, but trust me, i'm not a stranger i'm you from the future...

Unless you do something now, your life is pretty much going to be washed down the toilet by your parents. Your mom is going to institutionalize you so she can legally keep you from your father. Your father is going to send you to a boarding school for rich fuckups where you're going to start smoking marijuana, and eventually when you reach 15 you will be homeless living under the Hamilton av. bridge in campbell because both parents want you locked up so you can't turn them in for child abuse.

Go ask grandma if you can live with her right now. Instead of asking her for that turbografx-16 with the CD drive, get yourself a 286. You're going to meet a new friend down the street with just as much passion and interest in the computer craft as you, leverage on each others strength and learn all you can.

I'm sorry about all the shit mom and dad put you through. I really wish I could take a baseball bat to their heads, but I'm grown up now, and I have a responsibility to myself not to do that. Anyways kiddo, don't let it get you down because eventually when you grow up, you'll have a sick ass job making a ton of money, a good wife, and your own life that you can live how you see fit. Did you know most people don't blow up at small shit? You learned that agressive behavior from dad, i'm telling you now so can start working on it now, instead of 10 years down the road.

C'mon, i'll take you to grandma's myself. She'll take good care of you I promise.

Re:Parents

[unicron]

That kind of falls into what what I would tell myself:

"This is going to scare the shit out of you, and you'll probably think I'm the devil himself for telling you this, but EVERYTHING your parents ever tell you to do or not do is dead on the money. Your problems are not completely unique, and your parents have been there and know the easiest way out. ALWAYS take their advice. You've gotta make your own mistakes, but you can avoid the truly bibilical fuck ups if you just listen to your folks."

I can still remember the day this thought occured to me. I think I shuddered, fell out of my car, and went trembling into the fetal position.

Re:DOH Re:Hi..

[Anonymous Coward]

Paging Dr. Freud.

Homo.

Re:Save!

[rbolkey]

(::sigh:: the whole modding up vs replying decision.)

I'm trying to give this advice to all my friends who just got their first jobs out of college. Stop buying the new flashy toys, and start putting money away while you can (no real bills to eat up their paycheck). They'll have a lot more freedom later on.

Re:My advice to my 12-yr-old self?

[dr_eaerth]

Kill Yourself Now.

That's good advice at any age.

(Which seques nicely into my .signature...)

Re:girls girls girls

[No Such Agency]

More like:

"You know those girls who are fat or have some zits or whatever? A lot of them are really sweet people. Try asking some of them out for a change, instead of staying at home fantasizing about some haughty cheerleader. You'll be a lot happier, trust me."

(then again, my 12 year old self would reply "WHAT? This puberty thing gets MORE complicated?!")

Re:Advice for my 12 year old self

[voidware]

Ha! I can't tell you how many times I regret having sex with someone. The problem is that when I do turn it down (or not take the opportunity) I always regret that.

Now that's a paradox for you

Another challenge.

[Kingpin]

What do you think you'd like your future self to tell you now?

Re:register? Domain name? WTF?

[Ralph Wiggam]

Hey asshead, this guy was 12 in 1982. The only people who had computers in 82 were rich geeky college kids and big companies. Just because you were 12 in 1998 doesn't mean everyone was.

-B

Re:Parents

[TFloore]

While I agree with this advice in many cases, there is one little annoyance with the advice:

Until the thought occurs to you independently, you won't believe it anyway.

It's wonderful to be one of those people that learns from other people mistakes, rather than taking the time to make them all yourself... but some things you seem to have to just figure out on your own.

My advice would generally be more "do things" rather than "avoid things". Oh, and don't worry about looking stupid and feeling self-conscious, do it anyway. :)

You know all those dorks around you now?

[kfg]

Well, they're going to college too, on sports "scholarships". Get used to the idea now and when you get there you can skip the disappointment phase and enjoy your freshman year a lot more.

If you do that you'll discover that college professors ( at least the good ones) aren't authority figures. They're actually *teachers,* and are quite willing to be your friend as well. Even when things get rocky. Find the good ones and cultivate them.

You aren't really socially inept. You've matured early. This puts you about 20 to 30 years ahead of the curve. When you hit 40 or so people will suddenly think you're "cool" not because of any change in you, but because they've finally caught up. So don't sweat not fitting in with people who are, essentially, still savages.

KFG

Re:The past is gone...

[SnowDog_2112]

Well, in that case, here's some advice.

In another post I said I wouldn't change anything -- and I wouldn't. But these are things I'd give as advice to generic twelve year olds in a similar position to myself at that age -- a nerdy kid who gets picked on because he's poor, weak, nerdy, and in a fanatical religion.

Become an independent thinker as soon as possible. A good part of your pain comes from the brainwashing of your religious youth. Read _Stranger in a Strange Land_ and _Job: A Comedy of Justice_ before you go to High School. I read them halfway through and they changed my life. Maybe reading them sooner would have prevented some high school pain.

Don't just give your friendship to anybody who is willing to take it. There is a perceived solidarity among those who are downtrodden, but some of those people are real low-lifes and will try to drag you down. It's not really true that the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Pick your friends carefully -- they have a profound influence on you.

Don't count on being lucky and not getting caught. There's nothing wrong with breaking some rules, but don't assume because you've never been caught you can't get caught. Don't get stupid. One mistake at the wrong time can change everything.

Don't confuse your hormones with genuine affection. She's not perfect. She's probably not even perfect for you.

Life is full of unique opportunities. You might die tomorrow. Take those opportunities when you can. Don't assume you're immortal and will have forever to chase those things down.

But on the other hand...

[TopShelf]

Take the time to read [amazon.com]. It's well worth the effort.

Re:Advise to myself as a 12 year old...

[Aragorn DeLunar]

I did running start at a local Junior college my last 2 years of high school. I ended up with an Associate's degree and no regrets. In fact, my memories from the JC are fonder than those from HS.

High school is a game, much like Warcraft II, which can consume all of your time. Even if you get really good at the game, in the long run, does it benefit you all that much?

My advice to any 12 year old.... (anybody really)

[jhines0042]

Learn to love who you are.

If you are comfortable with yourself then you can be comfortable with other people.

Treat yourself and others with respect.

If you are comfortable with other people they will realize that you have it together and they will treat you with respect. People pick up easily on how others expect them to act... if you expect people to treat you with respect, chances are they will.

Those that lose your respect, ignore. Not in the sense that you pretend they don't exist, just don't waste energy dealing with them. You have much better things to do with your time than be mad at other people. It usually doesn't accomplish anything except to raise your blood pressure and give you ulcers and heart attacks.

Angry people are too focused on what is wrong and miss out on many things that are good. Don't be angry. If you need to work out some agression then get some exercise and think happy thoughts.

If you make someones day better there is a good chance that they will make somebody elses day better and the world will get better bit by bit. If you go around making other people's days worse then eventually the whole world will be filled with angry people.

One person can make a difference.

Take Better Care of Your Teeth....

[xtermz]

....Because you can ruin them before you even knew what happened. And pester your parents to get you braces now, no matter how much you think they will hurt.

Also....dont try to be cool. Dont change yourself to impress other people...

Carpe Diem

[jon514]

You might not get another chance.

On a more serious note...

[Obiwan Kenobi]

I know its easy to go the "+1 Funny" route here and tell everyone to get ready to jerk off a lot and buy stock in [some company that will explode with profits], but after thinking about this for awhile, I've deduced my advice to a sentence:

Don't take shit.

My life from 12-17 generally consisted of me putting up with bullying, putting up with being put down, putting up with people who had no business trying to tell me what to do, and even when they had that right, they did it all the wrong way. A little standing up for yourself goes a long way.

What would I tell myself? When that bully picks on you, punch him in the face as hard as you can. Go Ender on him--don't stop until they pull you off of him. I guarantee that he'll never try it again, yet this amazing fact eluded me, and I just assumed that no matter what I did, and that included fighting back, that I would be stuck in my little hole of miserableness forever.

Don't let your boss walk all over you. When I entered the "corporate world," also known as the Full Time Job, my little "Computer Operator" job got me nothing but headaches and more miserableness. Just when I thought I had escaped the clutches of bullies and put downs, here comes Office Politics to screw it all up again. Suddenly my boss would take credit for all my work and leave me hung out to dry when I made a mistake, holding myself up to the whole place as an example of How To Screw Up Rightly. The more I think about it, the more it hurts in the futility of it all.

Did I ever finally grow some gumption and let it fly? Sure. But it was far too late. The damage had been done, and this fantastic article [paulgraham.com] rang so true my ears are still ringing. I told off my old boss, let the higher ups know what was going on, and moved on to greener pastures. I settled down, found a wonderful wife and now have a gorgeous 8 month old daughter who I value more than my own life. And I'll be sure to let her know, when she turns 12, that life isn't about the microcosm of high school, or the inmates, er, students in it.

My greatest hope would be that my 12 year old self would be, at the very least, left alone. And that's more than most depressed, repressed teenagers get.

The Drugs

[or_smth]

Mine is simple enough...

Drugs are overrated.

Your mind is screwed up enough already, why fuck with it?

Re:Parents

[unicron]

Rebeling is trite crap for children that can afford to not be part of the world. Adults don't that luxury. Provided your parents are complete fucking idiots and actually have good intentions for you, then my above statement still stands.

All these people that talk about "the man" and "your parents are just trying to control you" blah blah blah just make me laugh. The world, and society wont put up with that shit, so while I'm sure you're a high school student that eats cigarettes for lunch standing on the sidewalk across the street from your school spouting misquoten Sartre and convincing yourself you're going to be diffrent, you will soon have a rude awakening.

Re:advice

[EllisDees]

Probably would be better to buy up all the common business names. You know, like "bank.com", "news.com", or "shop.com". You could have sold any of them for a huge wad of cash at the height of the dotcom bubble.

don't be a wimp

[dten]

1) Everyone has been, and will keep telling you, to turn the other cheek.
Everyone is full of shit.
Trust yourself and stand up for yourself--even if it gets you in trouble. Nobody else cares more about your life than they do about their own. Challenge everything, especially those who challenge you.

2) Don't be afraid to piss people off.
Not everyone understands the same concepts of right and wrong that you do; not everyone shares your goals or respects your rights to them. If you wait for handouts, you get leftovers; if you wait for respect, you get pity. Trust your heart to tell you what you want, and don't let other people's agendas impede your progress (this includes your family) (see #1).

3) Everyone is bluffing. Nobody is really as cool or put-together or powerful as you think they are--or at the very least, you are a match for them. Never question your ability to compete.

4) You should bluff, too. Act like you have a right to what you want, and people will believe you (most people don't realize #3). And if someone tries to call your bluff, never back down. Herein lies the power to do and be whatever you want in life. Try it, it works.

5) Your parents are lousy role models or I wouldn't have to be telling you these things. You're going to have to go outside of your family to find the inspiration and support you need to be successful in life.

Re:Uh, nothing...

[Merlisk]

I wouldn't tell my 12 year-old anything. I wouldn't want to screw up meeting my wife (at age 29) nor having my son (age 34).

Things happen for a reason, which only figure out after the fact.

Re:hrm..

[Anonymous Coward]

Drugs are bad...mmmkay

Drugs are good...mmmkay

Knowing the future...

[gmuslera]

.. is normally dangerous, not because you know what bad things will happen, but because you changed with that knowledge, and the future will not be the same.

Even knowing that I will live till now would change my life, and maybe in a way the actual reality, and the final result could be far worse than actual one. What puts a little problem: should I say that I'm myself older? if not would my younger me follow my advice?

Also I could not follow the safe way, and take the risk, but this must worth it, and probably could be only one shot, if its big all could change.

In this case my best try would be checking what happened a bit after I would contact myself, and take advantage of it, like giving a paper with lotto numbers, or say something like "be there, avoid that and be a hero", and pray that what I changed on my life don't put me in Twin Towers when the attack, or in a plane that will crash, or whatever thing that make things worse, not better, that are now.

Ask Her Out!

[dswensen]

Yes, she really does like you. You will realize this in another ten years and kick yourself that you did not ask her out. So go do it.

(this advice multiplied by 3 or 4...)

Re:hrm..

[NanoGator]

The Loan Gunmen are Dead.

Readings

[Anonymous Coward]

Please, in the next 2 years read the following books:

- "Demian" by Hermann Hesse

- "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

- "The stranger" and "The fall" by Albert Camus

There's no point on fucking up your brain when you're 17/18, you could unlearn all the shit you've been taught sooner so it will hurt a bit less.

Something I read on alt.tasteless

[Sloppy]

Someone named "Citizen Ted" on alt.tasteless had a great one-liner, that sometimes, I think makes a lot of sense:

Stop dealing with people. Start manipulating them. It's your only hope for a happy life.

It is actually a rather succint guide to True Evil. That would be my advice to 12-year-old-Sloppy: really consider just defecting from society and try to play it -- and the people that make it up -- like a game, for your amusement and profit. Evil will always triumph, because Good is dumb.

Good Advice- if your 12, listen up!

[mrjimorg]

• Lift weights- I really mean this. When you get stronger 3 things will happen -
  
  
  1. You will become thinner. Muscle burns calories. Dont worry about muscle turning to fat as you get older.
  2. Other guys will respect you more. Bullies dont pick on guys who can kick their butt.
  3. Girls will like you more. I know you dont want an artificial girl who only looks at your body and not your personality, but at the same time you dont want a girl to have like you DISPITE your body.
• Date girls that are plain. It will give you practice, and you'll find that quite often they're better people.
  
  
• Dont let people- especially teachers - intimidate you. Your opinion is valid. Dont worry about school. After all, your smart and if you cant do it then the rest of the class will totally fail. When someone says "who are you to judge" say "I am JIM, and thats all you need to know!?". Have confidence, be arrogant- you've earned it!
  
  
• In class you'll be bored- school is geared for average people and your not average. So, do the work really fast, then do other stuff thats fun.
  
  
• Take responsibility for your education. When a teacher gives you a BS assignment, bring it up to your parents or to your teachers boss- hes not doing his job! (Making a fort from popsicle sticks doesn't teach a thing about history)
  
  
• Read Ann Rands book "Atlas Shrugged". The lessons you learn there will help you fight a lot of the idiot stuff you'll hear later on in life.
  
  
• In the next few years your brain is going to change. The chemicals in your brain will cause you to think and feel things that aren't normal or good. Just stay the course and when your in your 20's things will be normal again.
  
  
• Dont worry about what job you'll be doing for the rest of your life- you cant plan that far in advance. Just get your graduate and masters degrees as quickly as possible and dont worry about it. And DONT bother getting a minor- noone will ever notice. And dont worry too much about your GPA. As long as you get the degree, thats all that counts. And, dont ever start a sentence with 'and'- its improper grammer.
  
  
• Learn how to spell. You're intelligence will be judged by it. You cannot appear smart making your case if you spell things incorrectly.
  
  
• Dont drink soda. The sugar will just make you fat and the caffine will just mess with your sleep schedule.
  

Re:Save!

[dubhouse]

Saving is good, but living in the future is not living. The now is NOT a means to an end. There is no future, only the present moment.

Re:Advice for my 12 year old self

[Anonymous Coward]

Hell yes.

Look. Go with your instincts. When you met Girl A, you didn't see what the big deal was. Stick with that. You're never going to get her anyway, and you're going to waste part of your life chasing her. She doesn't want you.

Girl B is a little intimidating, yes, but she's 1) hot, 2) athletic, 3) going to throw herself at you THREE TIMES, but by the time you figure out how much fun you could have had, you'll have 1) broken her heart, and 2) lost contact with her, so you can't even try to apologize, YOU MORON.

College advice

[tgibbs]

1. Don't take easy courses. You're paying those guys to teach you stuff; don't waste your time and money having them help you learn stuff you could learn easily enough on your own.

2. In college, don't major in what you think you want to do as a career. Major in something different that is peripherally related to what you think you want to do (and preferably harder, see #1). That way, when you eventually get around to what you really want to do, you'll already know a bunch of stuff that most people in that field don't know, and you'll pick up the stuff that everybody knows easily enough.

Re:Easiest response ever

[Fulcrum of Evil]

I believe that everyone needs enough money for sustenance and comfort, and after that it's all vanity.

This is probably true, but isn't it nice not to have bills?

Re:A good beating

[Soul-Burn666]

It's modded funny, but a crisis is really a good thing once in a while. It lets you think about everything again, from a new perspective. When you get to the bottom and have nothing to lose, you can build up what you really want, and not get stuck on things you realize are incorrect.

Do take the Accounting electives

[waimate]

My advice would be to take the accounting and ecconomics electives in school which I avoided like the plague. When your software company becomes a success, you'll really wish you'd had some basic background in things which suddenly became very important.

Re:Save!

[Sgs-Cruz]

I thought about doing that, but then I thought this:

You know what? Do I want a new car now, or when I'm 45? Do I want to be able to live it up now, or when I'm middle aged and everybody will just think I'm going through some sort of 'mid-life crisis' or something? I'd rather spend now, save prudently (not outrageously), and then make a million dollars some other way :).

Dear Self

[cosmosis]

Dear Self,

You are 12 years old now and are starting to feel deeply your own inner voice... listen to it! Your creativity is beginning is beginning to flourish so do anything, everything you can to express yourself. Take chances. Don't do it for anyone else, do it for yourself. And if someone happens to critisize you for having your head in the clouds, or being weird, don't listen to them! Follow this inner muse and you will be richly rewarded with a happy life and lots of money.

Your parents mean well, so try to understand that at least their heart is in the right place. If you strongly disagree with them, I suggest at the vert least you keep reserve that strength for yourself and not for battling your parents. It will only cause both you and them needless amounts of grief. Experiment and get away with what you can, and if you get caught, do your best to at least play the part of the "good son". They don't need to know everything you're up to, because you are a life long quest of exploration and adventure and the fun is only getting started.

Good luck, and may you reach the stars before I do.

You older self,

Paul

Planet P Blog [planetp.cc]

I don't buy it.

[StarKruzr]

Money is not important to me because it allows me to acquire material goods.

It's important to me because it maximizes my freedom.

Because of money (or rather a lack of it), I cannot go straight to grad school, cannot go snowboarding in Utah tomorrow, cannot take a trip to Tokyo, etc. etc. etc.

I accept that life is not about what you have. But it many ways it IS about what you can do and what you have done.

Maybe these people who win the Lottery don't realize this, and fritter away their cash on stuff instead of experiences.

Just a thought.

Way Back

[djmoore]

Also buy Compaq and Cisco. No, none of these companies exist yet, but watch for them. And plastics, don't forget plastics; Dow, DuPont, 3M, and Monsanto exist now. Starve if you have to. Re-invest the interest. [Hey, everybody gives this advice because it's good advice.]

*sigh* Ask Dad.

We have great parents, by the way. Listen to what they say. Be nice to them. Don't stop hugging them, ever, or you'll forget how.

You oblivious dork, Dad has a stack of Playboys, somewhere. Find them. One or two off the bottom, now and then, won't be noticed, or at least admitted to. Don't dink around with the National Geographics; go for the gold.

Anything that seems at all cool now, books, magazines, comics, toys, whatever, buy one to use and one to save. Don't even take the saved one out of the box or wrapper.

No, the Playboys aren't worth saving. Dispose of them discreetly, or give them back. Unwrinkled, untorn, certainly unstained.

You're a goof. Goof is good, folks like being entertained, but avoid weird.

Those cool books in the school library about chemistry magic with all the fireworks recipes? Steal them now. (One at a time, and leave another, similar book from Adam's Used Books on the table so you won't be noticed.) The librarians will throw them out within three years anyway, to keep them out of the hands of budding revolutionaries. Don't make a habit of this, but those three are worth the risk and guilt, and you will use them for good, not evil.

That stupid idea about using computers for animation? Not stupid.

But learn to draw first. You actually have a talent for it. Draw at least one picture every day. Start today.

History is cool.

Your textbooks are gap-filled, error-ridden and often lie outright; embarrass your teachers.

Hey, George Washington grew pot! The Constitution is written on hemp paper! Honest! Look it up!

Never, ever, stand by and let someone else get hazed or belittled.

Hit bullies back. Hard.

Learn to shoot.

Dump the dorky book bag and get a good briefcase.

Dump the slide rule; it will be utterly obsolete by the time you really need it. No, I swear. See the notes above about collectibles.

Dump the cheap polyester pants and shirts too. Admit it, you do know what looks good. Nothing to be ashamed of.

Get a haircut. Carry a comb. Your hair will never be neat, but you can keep it from getting all ratty and tangled.

Read the top of the mayonaise jar: KEEP COOL BUT DON'T FREEZE. Nevertheless:

Be bold with girls.

Know what color her eyes are before you speak to her the first time. Occasionally, drop a hint that shows you are paying attention: a favorite color, a favorite flower, a favorite song. No, don't make them yours. Just be sure she knows you are noticing hers. This will be hard for you, I know. Practice casually, so that you will be ready when you meet HER.

When you touch her, be certain that when she looks at you, you are staring straight into her eyes. Mean it. Don't flinch.

These can't be your only tricks. Think of others. And they're not tricks. Once again, mean it.

Never blame on malice what can be attributed to stupidity.

Take risks in public, but think them through and practice privately first, if possible. For really risky stuff, have a trusted buddy standing by when you practice.

When you are the trusted buddy, and things go badly, stick it out, stand by your man, take your lumps along with his.

Above all, remember: EVERYBODY MAKES MISTAKES. HORRIBLE ONES. They are too wrapped up in their own to worry much about yours. You are free.

All these "funny" drug-related replies

[mnemotronic]

Why do so many of the current replies to this topic reference drugs or drug usage, and why are these moderated as "funny"? Am I the only one here who has lost co-workers, friends and relatives to drugs and alcohol? Ok, twenty years ago I might have thought it was funny, but not any more. I've been to too many memorials -- I've had to bury friends who couldn't believe they were dying. And I was almost one of 'em, but that's another story and this isn't the forum.

Things I'm going to tell my 12 year old child.

[edunbar93]

The two statements "this is what I'd tell myself" and "this is what I should tell my kids" are closely related. Here's mine:

High school is prison. The inmates are savages. And it's absolutely nothing like the outside. This is what the Lord of the Flies is about. (btw, read it now, before they make you)

You're smart. Study psychology. It'll give you great insight as to how to socialize yourself, not to mention explain the behaviour of your peers.

Bit of useful psychology #1: when you're depressed, you're mean to yourself, and when you're hard on yourself, you're hard on others. Take a hard good look at the mean people around you.

Bit of useful psychology #2: people hate having their bubbles burst. Keep this in mind while exercising #1. This is a great way to make enemies.

If you haven't already, learn how to make friends. Use this knowledge to realize when other, more outgoing people are trying to make friends with you. It's a skill that you'll need throughout your life.

Don't be afraid to make friends with geeks, especially when she's as pretty as Megan B was. :)

Learn to be a good lover. This might not win you points with the popular girls in high school (see that bit about how HS is not real life), but for the most part they're stupid and shallow anyway. Following this path will ensure that your every possible sexual fantasy is fulfilled. It worked for me. :)

I would write no letter.

[La Camiseta]

I really don't want to think of all of the changes that might have happened had I not done what I've done. Granted I've made some mistakes, but I've grown from them. If I were to change anything in the past, no matter how minute, it would completely change who and what I am right now. That IS NOT what I would want. I like who I am for the first time in a long time. I'm at peace for the first time in a long time. And I'm completely head over heals in love with a member of the opposite sex, who I doubt I would have met had anything been changed.
I like and love where I am now. Nothing needs to be changed. Nothing.

Re:What evidence is sufficient?

[benzapp]

It is more logical to assume that you believe God created us in his own likeness. No human, save the most pathetic sociopaths, would ever demand worship from anyone. IF your original assertions were correct, your God did not create you in his likeness.

Your logic does not follow. If God created us to worship Him, then how is that evil? It is repulsive for one human to worship another human, because we know all humans are faulty and evil. Therefore the act of worshipping another is misguided and corrupt. Besides this, it is also evil because worship is to God alone

I got news for you. That isn't logic. It is my opinion that your god is evil. However, I stand by the assertion that no human being would demand worship from anyone. If you read the bold statement, that IS a logical conclusion. No sane man demands worship from another. Your god creates men to worship him, thus desires said worship. Ergo, he is not like man.

If you feel a life of a mindless ass kisser is a good life, hey, feel free.

Let me take the classic example - the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. If you are genuinely wanting to know if this can be proven sufficiently (say, as much as we are sure about the authors of those works you mention later) then I suggest you read this book [amazon.com] as an introduction to where and to whom you look for the answers - not sufficient in itself to prove the case, but if you investigate and follow a similar journey you should find the answers.

I have read the book. It is typical of "pop" non-fiction today. The writing style is casual, the citiations are few, and the exploration of alternative explanations non-existant. Part of the reason such books have little impact on people like me, is I really don't care whether or not there is a god. Even if I find out there is a god, it will have no impact on my life. This book attempts ultimately, to suggest it is up to you to find Christ. Bullshit, that is not an answer.

If this world is perfect then how can you condemn my choices, or suggest we strive for heaven on earth? By perfect I must assume that you mean the way it is meant to be.

I am saying that when you rid yourself of the fear of death so common in theists, and the sick idea that life is suffering, you will realize what a beautiful world we live in. A child may dream a terrible dream, but every morning he awakes in paradise again. What makes life worth living is creating things of value in the world. Build a more beautiful house. Paint a pictures, write some music. Read, and learn. Start with the reading list in the parent post which I gave to the last clown. Don't be such an ignorant fool. So what if you die. Thats life. Deal with it.

And that meaning is derived by the inherent meaningless of a universe without God.

That is the reason for your sorrows. You are unable to create meaning in your own life. You desire some sort of master to tell you what to do.That is your problem. Learn to deal with it.

Humans raised outside of the slave morality of religions do not feel that way.

You are confusing the first with the last - the Christianity as taught by Jesus and the Apostles with the pseudo-Christianity taught by Roman Catholicism, an abominable organisation.

I don't think you are as aware of Christian history as you think you are. There is virtually no evidence Christianity ever existed prior to 100AD. It is now absolutely certain that most of the new testimate was created in those years around the Council of Nicea in 323 AD. Christianity, as well as other religions which failed to acknowledge the divinity of the emperor, were legalized in 313 with the Edict of Milan.

The Council of Nicea focused on determing the exact nature of Jesus Christ. Note the banned gospel of thomas, which presents a much more vicious Jesus.

You dismiss 1700 years of Christian religion and expect me to believe that is the cause of my misunderstanding. Who do you think created your bible? Catholics.

By all means, tell me the singular difference between catholicism and these reformed religions. I have examined both bibles. Outside of the King Jame's version removing allusions to adultery, I cannot seem to find much substantial difference. They all clearly adhere to the council if Nicea conclusions on the nature of Jesus.

Yet I suggest that you don't understand that there are a few Christians who live to understand, yet this comprehension has led them to the inescapable conclusion that there is a God.

Note, I have not denied the existence of a god. It is impossible for me to make such a claim. There may very well be a god, but he obviously is not too concerned with people worshipping him, otherwise we would not have such confusion about which god to worship, let alone which bible to read, or any of the other inconsistencies amongst the worlds religions.

Live your life, treat humans humanely, use the head that you have. If there is a god, so what. Do good beacause it is the right thing to do, not because you are afraid of hell. Live your life knowing that you are going to die soon, but don't be afraid of death. But above all, focus on NOW, not the fictional world of heaven. Trust your passions, as that is what makes you human.

Love your humanity, do not despise it.