What one thing do you wish you had known about life when you were in your 20s?

Dear Young Bill,

1. Porn is Ruining Your Sex Life - So install a porn blocker and give Joey the Password
2. Life isn’t a Rom-Com -You aren’t going to marry Carol, stop trying to earn love if a girl likes you, awesome if they don’t stop wasting your time.
3. Your Parents Are Amazing - Call Them More
4. You’re Not Special - You make yourself special using two tools, discipline, and courage.
5. Say No When You Want To - Learn to say no more. That’s how you focus, by saying no to distractions and people.
6. Stop Planning - You have these huge plans for your life. None of these plans work. Just pick the direction you want your life to go and cultivate skills that are going to make that journey easier.
7. Laugh at Being Jealous - You get jealous a lot, it’s not a big deal. When you do get jealous, say what you’re upset about out loud and start laughing. It will make you feel better and it stops you from taking yourself so seriously.

8. Don’t be Afraid of Being Alone - Time alone isn’t something to run away from it is to be cherished. So work on those novels and screenplays, go to the gym and read books - don’t cry, cultivate skills.

9. Stop Drinking - I know blasphemous, but when you’re 24 you quit drinking and you’re able to have even more fun when you go out to party and you save a lot of time not being hungover.

10. Work-Out - In the future you’re really muscular, part of what’s keeping you from going to the now gym is that you think you can’t put on muscle, you can, so start lifting.

11. Listen to Audiobooks When You Drive and Walk - You waste a lot of time listening to the same songs, over and over again. Listen to audiobooks, you’ll learn a lot and sound smarter.

12. Learn the Rules of Life - Look at life as it is not as you wish it to be.
There are unspoken rules in life, find out what they are and make them work in your favor. This means reading self-development books about relationships, discipline, mastery, economics and body language. Also talk to your Dad more (See #3) because he’s unbelievably wise and you’re unbelievably foolish.

13. Take One Risk a Day - These risks should be to make you better not worse (This isn’t a license to drive drunk), so email CEO’s and talk to pretty girls, you’d be surprised how much doing stuff like this will impact your life.

Bill your life turns out great, and you are on a path to success, but if you did these things earlier, you would have enjoyed life more along the way. These things will not only make you more successful, they will make you happier while striving for success.

Do girls like it when they wake up to a "Good Morning Beautiful" text even though they are not interested in you?

Probably not. Some women like compliments, especially from strangers. Some do not like that at all.

Some women are very particular about what you're complimenting. Some would rather be recognized for their intelligence than their beauty, even if they possess both. 

Some women might find what you're suggesting flattering, others creepy and stalkerish.

A good concept to understand though is that we (all human beings) aren't interested in other people because they compliment us and see how great we are.

We're interested in other people because we find them interesting. We're attracted to their physical beauty, their success, their confidence, their personality, to something about them that is compelling to us.

Compliments require no effort and if given too often, like anything else, become less special and meaningful, and instead become boring and mundane.

Compliments don't make the complimenter seem more interesting. A beautiful woman gets compliments from many men, it does nothing to set you apart.

A compliment from someone a woman has already found interesting might catch her attention, but she only really cares because there's something already attractive to her about the complimenter and this compelling person has shown an interest in her as well. The compliment didn't win her over or change her mind about the person giving it.

So, what is the lesson for you?

Women aren't vending machines. You can't put compliments, gifts, shows of affection, etc in and get a girlfriend, sex, or her interest back out.

If a woman isn't attracted to you, for whatever reason, then that isn't going to change just because you're a nice guy or give her lots of attention and gifts. 

In fact, that may make you even less attractive to her. It may make you seem pathetic because you don't understand what makes women feel attracted to an individual (in general) or aren't assertive and confident enough to move on and find another woman who is interested in you. She may also feel like you think she is some object you can buy, that you believe you can bribe your way into her pants.

No self-respecting, confident women (and let's be honest, those are the most attractive traits a woman can have!), is going to appreciate those sentiments coming from someone who wants to date her.

If a woman really just isn't in to you, be a man and go find one who is. Don't waste your time harassing one who isn't.

Why don't some guys try more if the girl rejects them?

I just met this guy, he said he really likes me and wants to date me. I told him I don't have any special feeling for him yet, and it is too fast. He told me it was okay, but never contacted me again. What does this mean?

It means "No means No."

What you've described is "No means No - except when it means Yes." 

That's a tiresome game to play and it undermines the whole idea of respecting a woman's word.

Of course we know that sometimes some women say No when they mean Yes or Try Again.

For a man to not accept a No at face value from a woman that he does not know intimately, is for him to undermine the whole notion of explicit consent.

In summation, I say the guy did the right thing.

If you want something to happen between you now, you have to state it explicitly. In other words, apply "Yes means Yes".

The leading men in movies can read ladies' minds and charm their socks off because the scriptwriter decrees it with godlike power. If you want a relationship in real life, you're going to have to be explicit about it eventually. Real men don't read minds.

Yes means Yes.

Why does a girl tell me she likes me only as a friend, but she still gets mad if I start going after other girls?

It’s not complicated.

It’s simple. Look how simple it is…

She tells you she only sees you as a friend
You STILL have hope in getting into her pants
So you let her talk shit to you, behave shit to you while I’m a guy who will say..

“Listen woman. I gave you the amazing opportunity to know me and date me, and be my lover. You said no. So whatever I do now, smile at girls, kiss, fuck, eat them out, whatever shouldn’t bother you. Unless it’s because you desire to date me and be my lover. So which one is it?”

Girl - just friend

Me - Good. Then behave like one or stay the fuck away.
I can say that because I don’t fear losing her. You do because you still have hope that she might change her mind.

Forget it.

Talk straight to her. Set boundaries and let her know, she pisses you off again, you ain’t no nice guy who will let her do that..

Say it in your own way, no problem.

I’m more of a direct guy and can’t be assed with any complications.

Stop letting girls walk all over you and psychologically seduce you to be passive-aggressive.

What are 10 or fewer good habits for a 24 year old that can make life better?

1. Exercise. Do some cardio, lift weights, and move your body. It strengthens your body, improves your mood, and builds up your mental toughness. Your body is the only place you have to live in in this life. Without it, nothing can consider as better.
2. Build relationships. Meet strangers, make new friends. Help someone in need, contribute what you can, and provide values to someone else. We’re not here on the earth alone, we’re here as one. In some way, every one of us is connected.
3. Read. I repeated this again and again and again and again on Quora. You’re picking the brain, and you’re time-travelling; while you’re reading. Because you’re learning an idea or a lesson that probably took the author 20 years to figure out, in 20 minutes.
4. Start a business. You gain two things here: understand yourself, and understand the market. Most people want to create a market to serve themselves. But business never works that way - instead, create yourself to serve the market.
5. Practice consistency. Great things never happen on day 1. There is nothing as the overnight success and instant results. Practice consistency, get used to boredness, horn your skills. Set goals then focus on the progress, take tiny actions and celebrate every small win. Never dabble, stop bouncing, opt for mastery.
6. Fail fast, fail often. Failure is never the opposite of success, it’s a part of success. Successful people starts before they feel ready, and yes, they failed. But that’s why they are successful.
7. Do what you’re good at. There are two group of people in their 24 years old. First, a group who endlessly seeking their true calling, the fact is - you’re not going to find it. Second, a group who follow the crowd and focus on what they are bad at, the results - you’re wasting your time. Instead, focus on what you’re good that. In most cases, you love what you do best even you don’t think that’s your passion. And focus on your strengths lead to positive feedback that further push you forward.
8. Do nothing. Practice to let go your thoughts for 10 minutes a day. Take deep breaths, focus on what really make you alive.
9. Say thank you often. Or all the time.

What are some amazing pictures one has to see twice to understand?

I love images with deep meaning, so whenever I stumble upon a good one I save it to my computer. Here are some of the pics in my collection, which I think will give you a different perspective. I would love to read your thoughts in the comment section below.

Those are widely distributed images, so it’s hard to give credit to the real creators. Great work and keep creating such amazing content.

What makes someone a failure at life?

You never hear someone on their death bed complaining about how they wished they:

“got that promotion”

“bought that extra car”

“got that bigger house”

There is a difference between achievement and fulfilment. Achievements are never ending. Once you get them you don’t even have time to enjoy it because you are looking over the horizon for the next one.

People wish they did more like:

“say I love you more often”

“do work that fulfilled them”

“be present at family events”

I’m not saying to go on in life and be mediocre.

If you find each day a thing that makes your day worth it and be grateful that you’ve made it through another opportunity, this will compound drastically with time. Ironically, in time, this will eventually lead you to achieving what actually matters to you. Only this time it will be genuine and fulfilling.

You know what’s worse than failing at something and feeling miserable?

Achieving success and still feeling miserable.