Don't Do Stupid Stuff Tips for Living Smart

Many people like to make fun of the stupid stuff that people do. It seems that many people in our society don''t think before they act, and as a result there is plenty of dumb activities going on every day. There are precautions to take in your life to make sure you don''t do stupid stuff. Here are a few tips to help you avoid embarrassing blunders in your life.

1: Have a plan. If you have a tendency to do stupid stuff, then winging it is the single worst thing you can do. It''s when you don''t have a plan that you will find yourself doing lots of stupid things. Whether you are making a speech, going out on a date, or driving to work, making a plan allows you to consider your actions and your words before the actual moment, ensuring you don''t do or say something really stupid in the heat of the moment.

2: Consider the pros and cons. One of the biggest reasons why people do stupid stuff is because they haven''t taken the time to consider what they are doing. If you follow the first tip and make a plan, you will also ensure that you have plenty of time to think about your decisions before you finalize them. If you lean toward doing or saying stupid things, considering the pros and cons is especially important. This is like the old saying, "Look before you leap". It is important to know what the consequences to your actions or your words could be.

3: Count to ten. When you are a kid, you probably had an adult tell you at least once to count to ten before doing or saying something out of anger. The idea was to give you a chance to calm down by forcing you to think before you acted out. As an adult, you don''t just have to use this technique when you are getting angry. Counting to ten gives you time to think about your words or your actions beforehand, regardless of whether you are angry, sad, or simply getting ready to say or do something that could have a profound impact on you.

4: Read the directions. A lot of stupid stuff has happened simply because someone didn''t think to read the directions. Reading the warnings is an especially good idea, after all, they are there for a reason, and that is probably because lots of people made that same mistake.

5: Don''t get too creative. A lot of stupid stuff is done simply because the person thought he or she was being extra clever. No matter how great an idea it sounds like at the time, finding a new way to hook up a trailer without a hitch probably won''t seem like such a good idea in retrospect.

Doing some stupid stuff in your life is probably inevitable. After all, we are human, and making mistakes is the name of the game. The idea is to prevent yourself from making the really stupid mistakes, the kind no one will let you forget for as long as you live.

Andy West is a writer for ThisIsJustStupid.com, a site created as a tribute to all that is stupid around the world. We encourage you to submit your stupid stuff by visiting us at http://www.thisisjuststupid.com/stupid-stuff .