38 Pieces of Unsolicited Advice

I’m not saying it’s good. Just unsolicited.

Tal Benisty
3 min readJan 27, 2023
  1. When you fall in love with a clothing item, buy 2.
    One day, you’ll be glad you did.
  2. Write your friends every single time you think of them.
    Any reason is a good reason. Articles, movies, songs, you name it.
  3. The safest way I know to jaywalk is to never, ever run.
    Cars are like hippos; you do not want to surprise them.
  4. Trust me when I say the best way to see Venice
    is to wake up at sunrise and have the city to yourself.
  5. Remember that your parents want you to be safe,
    more than they want you to be happy.
  6. Never show up empty handed as a guest.
    My grandmother would say your hands should be so full that you need to open the door with your elbow.
  7. Words are cheap.
    Flights are expensive.
  8. Sabotage yourself for the win.
    Book the ticket, shoot that email, register for the course. Put yourself in a position where you have no choice but to move in the direction of your fears.
  9. My latest travel hack is to share beds with friends platonically.
    We’re all adults, and I’m done sleeping on couches.
  10. My mother taught me to never compromise on food quality.
    Every year, my grandmother used to renew all her spices for Passover.
  11. If they were the one, you’d still be together.
  12. Almost everything we do in a relationship is an attempt to either give love or be loved.
    Remember that the next time you’re fighting. We’re all trying.
  13. The best response is usually “Tell me more”.
  14. At work, being reliable is half the job.
    The other half is being easy to work with.
  15. Don’t look up restaurants when you’re walking and hungry.
    Either pick one in advance, or just enter the first place that looks promising.
  16. You can’t try to save someone and be equals at the same time.
  17. Whenever someone on the road pisses me off,
    I recall the last time I did exactly the same and instantly calm down.
  18. I always feel better after I go dancing.
    Someone please tell this to my comfy couch.
  19. A company is never nicer to you than during the hiring process.
    If you’re already getting red flags, trust me, it’s not gonna get better.
  20. Breakups usually happen in contractions.
    Be patient with yourselves, it’s hard to rip the bandaid all at once. Accept the ebbs and flows by which you will eventually separate.
  21. (Please) don’t reheat pastries.
    They’re already baked to perfection.
  22. Whenever I want to lose a bit of weight, I make sure I go to bed a little hungry.
    Most of my (delicious) mistakes are made just before going to bed.
  23. “If there’s a doubt, there’s no doubt.” (Israeli saying)
    Deep down you already know the answer.
  24. “But” tends to invalidate everything that came before it.
    Ever since, I do my best to use And instead.
  25. Never go out without cleaning your apartment first.
    You never know when you’ll have guests.
  26. When trying a new drug, always take half the dose.
  27. Many work problems resolve themselves if you wait a little.
    Meetings move, priorities change, people leave…
  28. Drink to celebrate, not to forget.
  29. There’s this little mantra I like
    It’s not permanent, it’s not pervasive, it’s not personal.
  30. People who didn’t ask for advice won’t follow it either.
    I once read a hot take that all unsolicited advice is criticism.
  31. You’ll know you’re ready to reconnect with an ex when you stop second-guessing the idea.
    For what it’s worth, I do think exes can be incredible friends.
  32. I started celebrating my dad’s birthday instead of his anniversary.
    I’m trying to move from grief to loving memory.
  33. When you’re frustrated with someone, remember they’re likely just as frustrated with you.
    We’re all someone else’s problem.
  34. They key to a successful nap is mild discomfort.
  35. When receiving compliments, ask for specifics.
    This way you’ll know exactly what to do more of.
  36. It’s said the entire relationship is contained within the first few dates.
  37. You can tell when a banana is ripe
    by how easily it detaches from the bundle.
  38. Breaking up can be both a unilateral decision and a collaborative act.

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Tal Benisty
Tal Benisty

Written by Tal Benisty

Product Designer at Riverside. Formerly at Circles, Nexar, Cruise, Collective Health, Cooper, Designit, and IDEO.

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