Best nonsense advice you have ever received?

[Penfoldseyebrows]

We all know about those sage words of wisdom that you should live your life by, but what are the throw away nuggets of knowledge that have made a much bigger impact on your life than you would expect?

I'd like to share mine which may seem blindingly obviouss to some but undid everything I knew about laundry and literature.

1. It's OK if you don't wear matching socks.

Even when I would regularly leave the laundrette run until needimg to wear my knickers inside out was becoming a real possibility, this would never even have occurred to me. I am pleased to have passed this life lesson onto my children.

1. Never waste time reading a bad book.

I felt morally obliged to the author to finish a paperback once I"d started. I would count the numbers of pages left instead of concentrating on the words on the page. After all, if someone can commit months, years or even their life to this little bound document. then surely I could manage a few more hours to finish it. But of course, the truth is that the writer has achieved their goal and the book would be much better passed onto someone else who may appreciate it than it guilt tripping me from my bedside cabinet. I've yet to embrace it though. I still haven't accepted that no matter how many times I try, I just can't get past chapter 5 of Wuthering Heights. I'm halfway through How To Be Both and I know I should apply this rule to it but I just can't bring myself to. Maybe I'll wade through one more chapter...

So what are your small inspiring messages that have improved your life?

Buy good shoes and a good bed. Because if you are not in one, you are in the other.

Then you don't get asked to do it again !

Just because someone asks you a question you are not obliged to answer. I have developed a few replies depending on the situation; often said in lighthearted manner:

• Wrong question!
• Thats’s between me and my Father Confessor
• Oh, I’m not going that road/ Let’s not go down that road
• I’ll tell you later when I’ve thought about it

I have seen similar threads on MN in the past.

Replying to myself here 😀. I have reread the title and noticed it says ‘nonsense’ advice 😆

I love those comebacks. I've struggled with this.

Buy a duvet and cover one size up from the size of your bed. So nice to have extra cover than not enough, particularly if sharing.

Totally agree! I was so sick of having the cold air coming under the gap in a double bed with a double cover we changed to a king size. Also have king size flat sheets as was sick of the double fitted ones popping off the corners, no matter how supposedly 'deep' they were.

Instead of rising to the bait during a row or argument or if someone insults you, laugh at the person you are having the conflict with. It’ll annoy them far more and it’s far more dignified and won’t escalate as much. It’s better to walk away and make them feel small than saying words you can’t take back.

Definitely don’t do this. It’s goading, petty, and can make you look like a clueless bully; deliberately annoying someone is the very antithesis of dignity. Instead, try to find something in common you can agree with them on, and see where you both can go from there.

Also: sleep on it. Works for arguments, decisions, creative endeavours. Sometimes I’ll dream the “answer”, other times I’m just suddenly clear on the right path as soon as I wake up.

Don’t ask a question if you’re not prepared for the answer - this has helped me in some difficult conversations

When I was house-hunting I went to view a house which was decorated to my taste and had the prettiest garden of all the houses I've ever viewed. However there was a major issue with the roof and it was just outside the area I was planning to move to. In spite of this, I really, really liked it.

I phoned my sister and said "I think I've found the right house"

She said "No you haven't - you said 'I THINK I've found the right house' and if you had found the right house you would KNOW"

She was right and I'm so glad for her advice as a few weeks later I went to view another house and I knew quite quickly it was the right one for me

When trying to declutter, imagine the thing covered in baby poo, would you clean the item, if the answer is no. Bin it.

Never trust a man who doesn't like football😊⚽😊!!

If your job was that great, nobody would pay you to do it for them.

Corollary: "career" is marketing-speak for recruiters. Find and replace with "lifelong job", then re-read.

THIS is the sort of advice that speaks to me. I’m off to declutter (again) with this as my rule. sorry Marie Kondo……