Neil's Rules
If you work out while talking on your cell phone, its not a real workout
Clearly if you aren't out of breath you aren't working out very hard. In other words, if you are working out hard, you will be out of breath and unable to talk. Therefore, this does not constitute a "real" workout.
Get the facts, then act accordingly
When making a decision be sure that you have all available information. Do not let your emotions get too involved. Write out a list of pros and cons if you need to. Don't jump to conclusions or make a decision too soon.
Live in California for at least a year, live outside of California for at least a year
California is a very unique place. If you have lived in California all of your life you need to live somewhere else (in the country) for at least one year to truly appreciate how different it is from the rest of the country. The rest of the country is NOT like California. Conversely, if you haven't lived it California you should. Again this requires at least one year for you to get over the "culture shock" and understand why it is the way it is.
If its not on Google, its not on the Internet
This is true for many reasons. First, Google is the most popular search engine. Second, Google has the largest index of the internet. If what you are looking isn't in Google it might as well not be on the internet since no one will find otherwise. Google is the de facto starting point on the internet.
Nobody knows your situation better than yourself
There is no passing the buck here. You can't have other people making decisions for you. And you probably can't adequately articulate all the details specific to your situation to someone else. Trust your instincts.
Don't be afraid to break things
This goes for both the physical world and logical world. When working with physical objects sometimes things don't always come together like they should. When dealing with rules this also applies. Sometimes rules are just silly and you need to bend them to get things done. Sometimes it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Be aware of your situation
Don't let your guard down. Always be mentally awake in your life. Attempt to anticipate what will happen next and what your plan is to handle it, even the bad and difficult things.
Set your requirements first
When you are planning a purchase, be sure that you are getting something you need and it does everything you need it to do before you buy it. How many things do you have sitting around at home and you think to yourself, "Why did I buy THAT? I've never used and I'm not going to." You probably didn't set your requirements before buying it and actually had no need for that item. In addition when you have multiple choices for products (most commonly electronics) be sure that you define of what you need before you buy it. Example if it needs to be compatible with something else you own, make sure that the connectors, power cables, protocols, etc. are correct and THEN pick the version you want to buy.
Be prepared
The Boy Scount motto. You never know what you might run into, but you should try to be ready for it anyway. This can greatly reduce your stress levels if you can handle unpredictable situations in your life.
Expect nothing
Expectations just lead to disappointment. Don't expect anything from anyone. Aren't unexpected surprises so much more enjoyable?
Star Wars is overrated
I've never seen why Star Wars has such a fan base. Maybe because I didn't get to appreciate the original when it originally came out in theaters. It seems to me that George Lucas is a medocre writer at best and that when the original trilogy came out it was carried heavily by the special effects. I think this point is pretty much backed up by the reaction to the second trilogy (prequels).
Everyone has their own warped view of the world
Some people aren't in touch with reality. Others can't accurately assess what is going on around them. Everyone has their own unique life experiences that shape their view of the world.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should
This is generally applicable for political or ethical arguments. It seems today that many people are too willing to sacrifice ethics and morality for the sake of "progress." It can often apply to uses of new technologies. There is always a balance that must be found between progress and morality that is often ignored.
Its all on the table
More options to choose from means it is more likely you will also have the best option for a situation. This is like a toolbox, the more tools you have available to you, you can complete a task in a faster, more efficient manner. Eliminating options before you know the details of a situation can often just create more problems, similar to painting yourself into a corner.
Most people make most things way too complicated
Most problems have simple fixes or have been solved before. There is no use reinventing the wheel. Don't get bogged down in the irrelevant details of a problem or situation.
Some people just like to listen to themselves talk
This should fairly obvious. You know who I am talking about, the type of people that continually talk but actually have no content in their conversations. Or they say things that are just plain wrong or don't make sense and they repeatly participate in conversations acting as if they are always right.
Something that seems ordinary to you, may be extraordinary to someone else
Take your cell phone. Pretty basic and ordinary right? But how does it work? How does this little device communicate with a tower miles away, nearly instantaneously? Maybe it is extraordinary after all. Now imagine going back 100 years with a cell phone. Those people would be amazed. Now think about what might be possible 100 years from now. You would probably find that entire world extraordinary.
People only see what they want to see
I like to support this rule by saying things that have more than one meaning or interpretation during a conversion. Very rarely to people stop me and ask what I mean. They (perhaps subconsciously) automatically assume that their interpretation is the correct one and also what I meant. This demonstration also supports this rule.
Actions speak louder than words
Talk is cheap. Its easier to say things and lie with words than it is to act contrary to what you really mean. How many times did you hear, "We don't want to bail out GM, but..." We learn that by bailing out GM, that is by definition what they wanted to do, because they did.
You don't ask someone to do something you aren't willing to do yourself
This is just plain disrespectful.
Just because you have a camera in your hand, doesn't mean you can wander anywhere, anytime
You've seen them before. The people walking right up to the stage to take pictures. Or stopping right in the middle of a crowd. Does a camera give people some sort of magical power that makes invisible so that they can walk whereever they want? Or some kind of free pass to walk wherever they wouldn't walk normally? Of course not. If you can't get the picture from where you would normally be you need a better camera.
Blogs suck
See my related post about blogs.
Stay home for at least one week between trips
Anything less isn't enough. There is no point in unpacking. Especially if you are dealing with a time change. You need a chance to decompress.
There is always another option
See Kobayashi Maru.
Less than ten percent is not significant
For most situations under ten percent isn't a significant difference. Once you get above this threshold it probably has more of an impact. Think of things in your daily life. You get a 5 percent discount when buying something.
Technology is neither good nor evil, its how you use it
Case Study: Atomic Bomb
Good: Led to development of nuclear power
Grey Area: Ends WWII and potentially saves more lives from and extended war
Evil: Kills innocent peopleThose who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it
This is courtesy of George Santayana.
Just because you turn your four-ways on doesn't mean you can park wherever you want
We've all seen them before, people that park their cars wherever they want. In the fire line. Off the side of the road in the no parking zone. In YOUR reserved parking spot. Blocking your car in (AKA double parking). And somehow turning on your four-way hazard lights makes this all OK? No! It doesn't! You are still in the way, where you shouldn't be.
The planet is one big free market
As long as there are sovereign nations, the planet is a free market. Deal with it, that is the reality. If people and companies don't like tax policies, labor expenses, and other costs, (with everything else being equal) they will move elsewhere. This also applies to states within the United States as well.
If you will not invest in yourself, why should someone else?
Don't expect someone else to invest time or money into you if you aren't willing to do the same for yourself. Anyone that doesn't have confidence in themself probably isn't worth your time and money either.
Question conventional widsom
Conventional wisdom is not necessarily true and often does not have any basis in fact.