What was the best advice your father gave you?

My Dad used to be fond of sayings, here are four:

*Bullies are never as tough as they appear.
*Better to ask forgiveness, than permission.
*In order to run an efficient organization, there must be a dictator.
*Love all. Trust few.

I always thought of him as a pretty tough guy...but I knew he loved me (and, I hope, I him), and he sometimes let me see his soft side, too.

 

Always be able to take care of yourself.

(Advice given in the day when many women only went to college for an MRS degree)

 

I can think of a few:

1. Always be able to look at yourself in the mirror in the morning.
2. A man is judged by the friends he keeps.
3. A stiff dick has no conscience.
4. A college degree is just a sheepskin, but one you need to open doors.
5. What comes around, goes around.
6. Never throw the first punch, but always throw the last one.

 

My Dad told me all kinds of stuff. I really can't pick a "best".
He told me to only buy what I can afford.
He told me to be ready to work 15 minutes early and to be willing to work 15 minutes late.
He told me to do my best each day and that effort is more important than the result.
He told me that pennies add up to dollars.
He told me never to swear in front of my mother.
He told me not to fight unless someone hit me first. He said that justified beating them to a pulp.
He told me to always open a door for a lady and that all girls are ladies.
He told me to stand up when offer your seat to anyone older and anyone female.
He told me to have a firm, but not painful, handshake.
He told me to treat people as I want to be treated.
He told me he would help me fix my mistakes as long as I didn't make the same mistake more than once.

My Dad passed away in 1982 and I did my best to take care of my Mom until she passed in 2005. My wife's Dad is still around and is quite healthy and active so I spend father's day with him. I think my Dad would like that.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jun 12 2007, 07:05 PM) [snapback]460559[/snapback]</div>

Congratulations!

The man who engendered me, I've never met (seriously doubt, at this point, that I ever will)... I've had a couple of stepdads, but it is my (birth)mother's husband who is, without a doubt, my "Dad"...
His advice? "Coffee first, then we talk" and "Always park pointing out"

 

The worst cheating you can do is to cheat yourself.

 

Several things.

1. Never volunteer.

2. Always go straight to the top (when dealing with salespeople I.E. don't waste your time with middlemen.)

3. If you can't afford to hire someone to do the job (or fix something) you better learn to do it yourself.

4. Whenever you come upon a bathroom, go. You never know when your next opportunity will present itself.

5. When it comes to tools buy the best. They'll pay for themselves. And always use the correct tool for the job, don't use a tool in a way for which it was not designed. (This from a man who has snapped blades off of three Swiss Army knives for using them as screwdrivers and pry bars. LOL.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(formerVWdriver @ Jun 13 2007, 02:51 AM) [snapback]460115[/snapback]</div>

"Move to New Zealand"