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30 Times People Were Given Advice That They Thought Was A Joke Until They Decided To Try It
When asking for advice, there’s always a chance you’ll hear something ridiculous that will most likely be of no help. After all, people say all kinds of things, and not every single thing is meant to be taken seriously.
However, every once in a while, you might hear some advice that seems really dumb and useless until you try it and, to your surprise, find out it actually works. These happenings are usually not only good learning experiences but also make for great stories. So when someone online asked Redditors to share these experiences, they filled the comments with some exciting answers. Scroll down to see what they wrote!
More info: Reddit
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#1
Housemate lost her cat, was devastated, put up missing posters. An anonymous person contacted her and told her to go out in the middle of the night, yell the cat’s name, and then be quiet and listen. She found the cat, it was stuck in the neighbor’s shed.
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#2
I worked for a courier company and this happened to my boss. He was on a long delivery out in the country. We're from Virginia, but he's currently in Kentucky. We're pretty country ourselves, but not like this. This is pre-smartphone era, so he stops to talk to a local for directions.
Guy said "Go as far as you can see, twice, and there's your turn."
My boss stared with bewilderment at the level of Deliverance that just came out of this guy's mouth. But... he fixed his eyes on a spot as far as he could see. He drove to that spot and made a mental note of the next farthest spot he could see. Upon arriving at the 2nd spot, dead on was the little unmarked turn he was looking for.
We still quote it to this day... "Go as far as you can see, twice..."
#3
If you drop something and can’t find it, drop another and watch where it falls.
Worked GREAT twice while tiling my bathroom.
Didn’t work so good when I dropped a winch handle off the boat
#4
If you can’t get rid of your sore throat, get a new toothbrush.
#5
I had a headache at work (years ago, at a previous job). I almost never get headaches, so it was pissing me off because I couldn't ignore it.
My coworker: "I can get rid of it. Come here, I'll squeeze your head."
Me: "... What."
"I'll squeeze your head." And sure enough, he grabbed my head and squeezed the sides so hard I thought he was going to fracture my skull. Then he squeezed from front and back.
Him: "Better?"
That headache was GONE and never came back. Now I go around curing my coworkers' headaches. Everyone thinks I'm nuts until it works
OneHappyPuppy 10 months ago
I'mma need a step-by-step for this one. What exactly are the pressure points? Asking for a friend
#6
Got a fuel pump for a very old S10. Put it in the truck, it did not work. Googled problem, lots of other people having same issue with same fuel pump and no answer.
Some random guy on a S10 forum, that I found on page 3 of google, posted 10 years ago that the instructions were wrong on that fuel pump. You needed connect the red wire to the black one, and not the green one like the instructions said.
Worked instantly
over it already 10 months ago
Those old mechanics' & woodworkers' blogs are full of golden knowledge. Terrible formatting, hard to find the stuff, but great resources.
#7
That the 10c per copy xerox machine at my high school (that gave change for dollars in dimes) would accept xeroxed dollar bills in the bill changer. The Secret service gave the school a visit to explain to us how bad a crime counterfeiting was.
#8
One day I came home from work and there was this little white box sitting on the counter. I asked my wife, "What is this thing?"
She said, "It's a box that emits a high pitched sound that only cats can hear and it will keep Spike off the counters."
Me: "How much did you pay for this magic box?"
Wife: "It was fifty bucks."
Me: "FIFTY DOLLARS FOR A MAGIC BOX THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK? CAN YOU RETURN IT?"
Wife: "Let's just see if it works and I'll return it if it doesn't."
I ate my f*****g words. This was 10 years ago, and my cat got up on the counter ONE time after we got the box and then never again. The box doesn't even work anymore. I think it's not even plugged in anyway. Still, the cat won't go near it. Sorcery.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 10 months ago
What is the matter with you monsters? Those are OUR counters, and we have every right to jump on them, or anything else, we please! Bad! Bad! Bad soft can-openers! No cookies for you!
#9
Is your dog afraid of the vacuum cleaner? Punish the vacuum in front of the dog. Hit it and tell it how bad it is. Get really mad at it. Put it in its place. I can't believe this actually works, but it does.
#10
My therapist told me to “give myself permission to grieve later” because I was grieving something that hadn’t happened yet. It sounded so obvious when she said it, because she said “you’re going to grieve it later. It hasn’t happened yet. So give yourself permission to grieve later, and to not right now.”
Bizarrely, it worked (for the most part). And I “give myself permission” to do other things later, too (worry, get mad, cry, etc). Somehow the act of consciously telling myself I can do it later makes it not so overwhelming right now.
Susie Elle 10 months ago
My therapist told me to envision the stern voices that you use to put all those rules onto yourself as a board of directors, and then make yourself leave the board meeting if the 'directors' start to be too controlling over your life. I now mentally leave meetings I don't want to be in with a 'I'll read the minutes OK BYE' and it really helps.
#11
I read a newspaper article about a guy who went to his local convenience store and bought two lottery tickets. Most people in that situation would play different numbers on each ticket, in order to double their minuscule chance of winning.
Not this guy. He was interviewed, and said he believed that playing the same numbers on *both* tickets would "double down" his chance, showing somehow that he was really serious about wanting those numbers to win.
So that's what he did. But it turned out that he actually did have the winning numbers for that drawing, and he owned two out of the three winning tickets. Therefore he was entitled to walk home with two thirds of the jackpot, instead of just half.
John Cole 10 months ago
I read an interesting one. No combination of numbers will increase your odds of winning, but some will increase how much you win if you do. If you choose things no-one else would pick, like consecutive numbers or those bigger than 31, or round the outside of the ticket, then if those numbers come up, you are less likely to have to share. Thought that was fascinating.
#12
If your cat loses interest in his cat bed or scratching post don’t get rid of it! Just move it to a new location in your house. The cat will find it and use it again.
#13
My husband and I used to live in an apartment 4th-floor apartment with a balcony that was over a greenhouse. The actual greenhouse had walls around it and was gated. Never saw anyone going in or out of there.
One day while I was out having a smoke, a strong gust of wind came and blew my cap off my head, which did a boomerang in the wind for a moment before dropping directly below me on the roof of the greenhouse. I really loved that hat. It was a beautiful, purple, full round ball cap that I got travelling.
I go inside to tell my husband, who doesn’t seem to care much. I quickly scramble for ideas on how to get it back. I can’t think of a single thing, and realize that unless I get the gates unlocked and a ladder, there’s no way I’m getting it back. I would have made peace with this if the hat wasn’t DIRECTLY in my line of vision. So I’d have to stare at it every day.
A storm was coming, so I knew if I just waited until tomorrow to see if I could find my way in, the hat would be ruined anyway. I’d consider jumping off my balcony to get it, but it was a glass roof, so no bueno.
My husband then comes up with this idea. This was in Japan, so we had these things which are futon clamps. A lot of folks in Japan sleep on ‘futons’ which are like douvets crossed with mattresses. In the morning people usually throw them over the railing to air out and use a “futon clamp” to anchor them.
Husband grabs the clamp, opens it up
And holds the teeth open with a chopstick. He then ties two bath towel belts together, and fastened it to the clamp. He tells
Me he’s going to throw the clamp into the wind, so that when it lands on my hat, it will knock the chopstick out and fasten to the hat.
I was upset; so I told him to f**k off and went to mope. 2 minutes later he comes back with my hat.
#14
If you accidentally use permanent marker on a white board, draw over it with a whiteboard marker and wipe away immediately.
#15
If you can't find something and you know it's right in front of you somewhere, walk away for a minute or two then come back. You'll find it right away.
It's easy to get tunnel vision when looking for something, especially when you get frustrated. Stepping back to reset your brain does wonders. Then you get kinda mad since whatever you were looking for is sitting right there where you were looking.
#16
When my firstborn was an infant, a friend told me that an old Native woman said that to keep your baby from crying when you lay them in their crib to sleep, you should move your hand in a circle in the air near them, while slowly backing up and widening the circle until you leave the room. It sounded like a bunch of hooey, but my friend swore by it, and danged if it didn't work every time! No idea why, but my kids were all good sleepers. Side note that I certainly always would respond if they woke up and cried, because I wanted them to know that I was there if they needed me, but that didn't happen much either.
Ranger Kanootsen 10 months ago
Maybe this is why I fell asleep during the Doctor Strange film...
#17
When having anxiety or a panic attack, put your hands in cold running water. It helps with causing a sensory ground, you focus on the sensation of the cold water
OneHappyPuppy 10 months ago
I've heard the version where you splash cold water on your face while holding your breath
Rocco MZ 10 months ago
For me it's removing my socks and shoes and standing on my cold garage floor any time of year. It grounds me in seconds.
Gen X Feral 10 months ago
Oh me too kinda. I grab a hose or jump in the bathtub, I'll even use the sprayer on the sink and get my feet wet. Makes me feel more grounded and it feels so refreshing
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Robert Lawton 10 months ago
Yes, if you are neurotypical or do not have a disorder or mental illness. Can make it worse in some cases as it is another thing to panic about or be anxious. You actually need to get away from ALL sources of stimulation.
Gavin Johnson 10 months ago
Y’know folk smoke when they are stressed? Well breathing through a straw works the same way, you are forced to regulate your breathing in order to get the maximum through the straw. So, if you need to slow yourself down try breathing through a straw, just do intake of breath to begin with, once you can do that easily then do full breathing through the straw.
Jinx (she/her) 10 months ago
this also works for motion sickness, though not for very long lol
Pferdchen 10 months ago
I'd love for my wife to try this, but we rarely have cold water here in S. Florida.
Becky Samuel 10 months ago (edited)
An alternative that works just about as well is to hold an ice cube in each hand for as long as you can bear it, and then just a little tiny bit longer.
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MygrandsonscallmeNia 10 months ago
I have a daughter, and a friend that has horrible anxiety attacks. I get them to get their favorite drink, and sip on it. It unlocks the throat so they can breathe. Works every time.
bill marsano 10 months ago
Source of the phrase 'chill out'? Similarly, if afraid the needle will rurt, for your next injection take an ice cube along and chill the spot swhere you'be jabbed. Doc may thinkl you're nuts. Do it anyway. (a beautiful woman doc from Atlanmta taught me this).
Rebecca McManus 10 months ago
My friend does complicated maths in her head when a panic attack starts, she says it distracts her from what's happening, very useful the time she started to have one driving over the Dartford crossing
Theora Fifty-five Johnson 10 months ago
It you put cold water on your face - use a washcloth - it will activate the Diving Reflex/ Vagus nerve and will help a panic attack.
BarkingSpider 10 months ago
I like to stick my head in the freezer. You get a cold blast to the face and then have to focus on breathing the cold air. Worked on my little brother too.
MagicJacket 10 months ago
Also recommended is splashing cold water on your face or even dunking your face in cold water if you can. This triggers a response mechanism that forces you to take a deep breath, even when you feel you cannot do so. Helps a lot.
#18
My 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Thrillkill (her real name), told us that if you want to remember something, repeat it quickly in your mind at least three times or more and you will remember it. I've used this trick successfuly for 50 years.
Jeevesssssss 10 months ago
I can't believe nobody has commented on that absolute legend of a name. I mean, I would do some seriously questionable things to get a ring on my finger if I ever met a Mr Thrillkill, and I'm an extremely introverted, PTSD'd Aspie.
#19
if you find yourself obsessing about something, set a date and stretch of time to 'worry' about it. I have no idea why, but that was the only thing let me set something down in my mind and sleep one night. It was a piece of advice my mother gave me a few days earlier. ironically, it was something else she'd said to me that was the source of the worry.
Tracy Wallick 10 months ago (edited)
I use this technique, it's called a worry box- the worries live in that box until the scheduled time to take them out and worry about them; set a timer so that you don't overwhelm yourself, maybe 15 minutes. When time is up, they go back in the box, and I'm not allowed to take them out again for 24 hours.
#20
I tell people this - sick and congested?
Salsa. Hot salsa. Have some good hot salsa and chips. It cleared my congestion for a few hours, and nothing at the drug store would even touch it. Plus there’s no dosage limit - have as much as you like!
Hot and sour soup also works well.
Any spicy food should work, really.
#21
I have ADHD and seriously struggle with remembering to brush my teeth before bed.
Someone told me to put my toothpaste in the sink so I would have to physically pick it up and move it out of the way to use the sink. Once toothpaste is in my hand, it'll remind me to actually use it.
Sure enough, totally works. I usually have to use the bathroom around the time I get ready for bed.
#22
I got a ganglion cyst on my wrist. The medical professionals recommended surgery. My mom's wife (a nurse) recommended hitting it with a book. The book worked.
kissmychakram 10 months ago
My bff attempted this. It turned out her wrist was actually broken and the "cyst" was a bit of bone.
#23
I couldn’t figure out how to keep my cat from jumping up onto my shelf and yeeting my plants off the shelf. They were hardy plants, so they survived, but they took quite a beating. My aunt suggested I buy some citrus scented air freshener, and spray the shelf every few days.
I thought “ain’t no goddamn way,” but I didn’t want my plants to die so I tried it. Be damned if it didn’t work flawlessly. It’s worked for 3 whole years now.
OneHappyPuppy 10 months ago (edited)
The citrus smell is overwhelming to cats. Same goes for mint or so I read
#24
So, someone once swore that talking to plants would make them grow faster. I thought it was a load of horticultural hooey, but in a moment of desperation, I gave it a shot. Lo and behold, my ficus started thriving like it had won the plant lottery! Turns out, my green pals just needed some sweet nothings and motivational speeches.
#25
When you experience bad turbulence on an airplane, lift your feet up. The movement of your feet messes with you mind and makes it freak out. So if you lift them your anxiety goes down instantly.
Always works for me, but if it doesn’t quite do the trick I recommend ordering a few beers in quick succession.
#26
If you make a list of everything you have to do, and always write down anything that comes to your mind on the same list, you will not worry about forgetting things. Once it’s written down on a list that you know you’re going to look at, your brain stops keeping an “open tab” for it.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 10 months ago
I've never had to put "wake up" on my to-do list.
#27
Put human hair down a gopher hole and the gophers will leave.
It worked!!
Ranger Kanootsen 10 months ago
put HUMAN ENTRAILS down a gopher hole and the gophers will not only leave, but they'll have PTSD for life!!
#28
I officiate golf tournaments. This involves long hours of sitting in a golf cart. Then when I had to get out I’d be very stiff.
A friend told me to put a towel down and sit on it and I wouldn’t be as stiff. How could that work, I’m just sitting there not moving, not even driving the cart around.
Well it does work. I’d get out and I wouldn’t be stiff.
#29
As a welder, an old welder told me if your eyes get flash burned to put raw potato slices on your eyes and it will stop the pain.
It works, but don't ask me why.
Debby Keir 10 months ago
Cold tea or cold used tea bags (tea, not fruit stuff) helps with welders' arc eye. It's the tannins in the case of tea; no idea what part of the potato helps.
#30
Turn it off then on again.
What do you think ?
Guess Undheit 10 months ago (edited)
Keep a plastic bag or ziploc in your freezer. After meals, dump food scraps into the bag and freeze them, taking it out and emptying it on trash day. Freezing it means flies can't get to it in the garbage and cause a smell, and avoids attracting other bugs.
Hey! 10 months ago
Actually, I do that with my organic in a bag for organics. The night before, it goes into the organic bin all frozen. I do the same for garbage stuff that smells - like the foam under the meat - and my garbage doesn't smell either.
Load More Replies... Robin Roper 10 months ago
I was once given directions that included "Go to the store that's not a store no more." Yes that is very poor grammar. And, "Go down the path to the house. You'll know when you see it." I actually found the house I was looking for.
Auntriarch 10 months ago (edited)
A friend told me to thread a needle by holding the thread still and bringing the needle to the thread, instead of taking the thread to the needle. Much more successful.
Steve Hall 10 months ago
I bought a needle threader for a quarter, I can't see the eye of the needle ot the end of the thread.
Load More Replies... Papa 10 months ago
I have one that sounds stupid, but has worked for me for 40 years or so. If you get dust in your eye, spit, and put some effort into it. It doesn't work 100% of the time, but it usually works.
Giraffy Window 10 months ago
It's also something where crying about it is super helpful.
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Guess Undheit 10 months ago (edited)
Keep a plastic bag or ziploc in your freezer. After meals, dump food scraps into the bag and freeze them, taking it out and emptying it on trash day. Freezing it means flies can't get to it in the garbage and cause a smell, and avoids attracting other bugs.
Hey! 10 months ago
Actually, I do that with my organic in a bag for organics. The night before, it goes into the organic bin all frozen. I do the same for garbage stuff that smells - like the foam under the meat - and my garbage doesn't smell either.
Load More Replies... Robin Roper 10 months ago
I was once given directions that included "Go to the store that's not a store no more." Yes that is very poor grammar. And, "Go down the path to the house. You'll know when you see it." I actually found the house I was looking for.
Auntriarch 10 months ago (edited)
A friend told me to thread a needle by holding the thread still and bringing the needle to the thread, instead of taking the thread to the needle. Much more successful.
Steve Hall 10 months ago
I bought a needle threader for a quarter, I can't see the eye of the needle ot the end of the thread.
Load More Replies... Papa 10 months ago
I have one that sounds stupid, but has worked for me for 40 years or so. If you get dust in your eye, spit, and put some effort into it. It doesn't work 100% of the time, but it usually works.
Giraffy Window 10 months ago
It's also something where crying about it is super helpful.
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