Way back in 2008 I published an entirely different type of thing than I had ever posted before or ever after. The entry is one of the few text-only posts I have ever done, and it is certainly the only thing on the site found via Craigslist. It consisted of a long post on the San Francisco local CL titled “Advice to Young Men from an Old Man,” and it is one of my favorite moments from the past 5+ years of doing this site. I was looking around for something else last night and I stumbled back upon it (and tweeted it) and I thought that since it was posted so long ago, a lot of people have probably never seen it. Some of my favorite selections from the advice are below, but go back and read the entire thing.
3. Invest in yourself. Material things come to those that have self actualized.
9. You’ll spend your entire life listening to people tell you how much you owe them. You don’t owe the vast majority of people shit.
10. Don’t undermine your fellow young men. Mentor the young men that come after you. Society recognizes that you have the potential to be the most power force in society. It scares them. Society does not find young men sympathetic. They are afraid of you, both individually and collectively. Law enforcement’s primary purpose is to suppress you.
13. Know that few people have your best interests at heart. Your mother does. Your father probably does (if he stuck around). Your siblings are on your side. Everybody else worries about themselves.
14. Don’t be afraid to tell people to “fuck off†when need be. It is an important skill to acquire. As they say, speak your piece, even if your voice shakes.
28. Don’t be a poser. Avoid being one of those dudes who puts a surfboard on top of their car, but never surfs, or a dude with a powder coated fixed gear bike and a messenger bag, but was never a messenger. Live the life. Earn your bonafides.
Great points.
Agree with some, don’t completely agree with others. Do like the very last one on the complete list. Thats the best advice of all.
Thanks for reposting. As a fairly recent newcomer to ACL, I hadn’t seen this one before. Good stuff.
Some good advice, some bad. Sounds like the writer needs to reflect a little bit more on his place in the universe as he still holds a little anger in his heart.
Personally I had a positive 4 year stint in the Marines, taught me a lot about myself.
The bit about Republicans is laughable, way to paint people with a big brush fella. There are Democrats that fit the same description just as well. Don’t mean to start a political fight.
See rule #8.
I had a client join for dinner last night with her father, a rare delight. My company is incredibly young, and we have no family in this city. I realized how much I missed the company of older generations.
This was lovely; thank you.
Is there any advice on there that you would give to a young woman? I’m not sure why this advice is limited to young men. I have a suspicion, but I’d like to think better of you.
Rule #34. If a assumed gay man looks at you or winks at you, consider it a compliment! It doesn’t necessary mean he wants to get in your pants, you’re handsome and being recognized for that, be proud, not angry, if you’re grounded in your own sexuality, this should make you smile, move on and Just know, “You still got, ;-) you’re a lady’s man”
The Republican comment is a little old man, angry, get off my lawn, kinda rant. I would have accepted another # down the list saying the same thing about democrats, which is also true. Few of them (on either side) are looking out for our well being. If he would have added that then the list would have been a 97% winner.
Then again maybe it was his old man stumbling in front of me routine and I didn’t walk around it :P