I saw this post on another forum and thought I would see what the responses on here would be... I think this will be a good ongoing thread. Everyone can take something out of it, and who doesn't love lists? I'm 24 so still a long way to go but I have some for sure. This can be applied to dating and life in general.

1. Freedom is more valuable than love. If you're with a woman who controls you, get out asap.
2. The satisfaction you gain from your hobbies and interests will bring you more happiness than any woman ever will.
3. The more things change... the more things stay the same. The only thing that is consistent is change, its the only thing that continues to happen with no way to stop it.
4. You can read about how to do something all day but if you never get out and actually experience it... what was the point of reading about it.
5. Walking away is an extremely powerful weapon. Never be afraid to use it. This applies to business AND women. Have the strength to let go and get out before things go down hill. It's hard either way but much easier when you get out first.
6. Some things you just can't apologize for.
7. If your life revolves around women you don't really have a life.
8. Remember that there's nothing new under the sun and anything that can be done with a woman has probably already been done, long before you got there.
9. Women, money, jobs, friends... they all come and go. The only person you can depend on is YOU.
10. Stop caring what others think of you. Sure people close to you matter to a certain extent but in the end it's only what makes you happy.

Good list! I especially agree with #'s 3 and 5...too many people waste too much time chasing lost causes, and change doesn't stop, it's just a matter of whether you steer its course or it's done to you. With 30 not far in my future, here's what I wish I knew when I was turning 25...

1. Inertia in life is the greatest risk to your success...if you don't have the conscious will to change and progress towards your goals, you will do neither.
2. The women in your life are the direct results of your choices, and those choices are made as much in what you do in your personal time as when you're around them.
3. No crisis is as big of a deal as it seems, and no sudden success is going to make the life-changing difference that you think it will
4. Denying your desire for women and hiding from facing it is just as dangerous as doing nothing but desiring and chasing them
5. Working for someone else is investing your creativity and drive into their dream, not yours. If you have one, find a way to do it on your terms and not those of your boss
6. You will see better gains in your goals from spending a consistent half-hour a day on them versus doing nothing six days a week then putting in eight hours on the 7th day
7. The main people in your life have gravity, and will subtly pull you towards their views and ambitions and habits with time whether you want them or not. Pick the right people to be affected by
8. When you feel stressed out and down from life, and want to play 12 hours of video games hiding from the world...stop yourself, make some quiet one-on-one plans or the like, but binging in escapism will only further drain you
9. Pride and ego are anxiety in disguise, and limit you just as much as any blatant fear
10. Girls are never as great as they seem when you don't have one, and they're never actually as trying as they feel when you are with them, but life has far less color without them

What happens if you're under 25?

(07-08-2011 02:40 PM)OwenWilsonsNose Wrote:  What happens if you're under 25?

I started the post and I am 24. This is about what you wish you knew before you made mistakes. It doesn't matter how old you are.

If a girl gives you shit, find it amusing and you win.

Don't try to masturbate into a beer bottle. It can only end in tragedy.

Not sure I can come up with 10 right now…but here are a few that I wish I would have figured out earlier in life:

1. If you are really into someone -- first and foremost, get as much of her as you can in her youth, so get your fill. Because no matter what, some how and some way, there will come a time when that piece of ass just doesn't stir you as much as it does today. It may be appealing for decades, but there is nothing like the feeling of being so "in" to someone, and it is rare. Exploit. But do so with caution, for you and for her...because obsession just brings pain to both of you in the end.

2. Second, be lighthearted -- about everything. I mean everything... The more of a positive force you are, the better it should work out. What I am getting at here is being a MAN, one who is in control of the situation, always. Strength is sexy; remember, women want to feel stimulated and important, but they also want to feel "safe".

3. Dealing with anger and arguments. Try to remain kind and calm, then ask her to tell you what she is feeling, and play it calmly out...it will be over in a few minutes, and you will probably have great sex if you just LISTEN to her (or pretend to listen). The moral of this story...NEVER engage a smitten woman...they are BOMBS that need to be defused, not jiggled. I know it is hard, and I spent most of my time jiggling them, until I saw what defusing them can do...you will always be the victim if the bomb still blows up this way, and if you just bite your tongue, they will be the ones who come back and apologize...either way, no down side for you. Never engage a ticking-time-bomb, especially a female one.

4. Cultivate a little INDIFFERENCE. Care, but not too much. Live by some rules you have, and those are to put your and her peace and happiness first. By indifferent, I don't mean being insensitive. I mean you need to downplay things, and make them less heavy. By this I mean, "just chill out a bit and just take it day by day and enjoy the time [you and she] have together".

5. Communicate well. Don’t bottle things up. You may push it off for a day or two until you get proper perspective, but get your thoughts out there.

I'm only 21 but so far I have two rules that seem to work very well.

1) Don't fuck/date anyone who isn't as cool as your friends

This is self explanatory. What's the point of dating someone if you'd rather be spending your time elsewhere? It was recently expanded to fucking as well as dating as I examined any casual hook ups for how I felt afterwards. If it wasn't someone cool, the sex was rarely much fun and I just immediately wanted to not be there. I get less sex, but hey, quality over quantity.

2) Don't waste your time/feelings where they are not reciprocated.
One that just had to be done by experience, but life was so much more simpler when I really put this into practice. Does he call you if you call him? Does he make an effort when you make an effort? If not, don't bother. Life's too short to chase people who aren't interested, or make elaborate excuses for why they aren't calling you. This one works with friends as well as romantic interests.