We’re often told that the key to success is working hard, staying diligent, and doing things the right way.
But in reality, the people who get ahead are often the ones who know exactly when to cut corners.
On Threads, users shared the not-so-ethical tricks that actually helped them win in life. Below is a roundup of their most surprising tips. Scroll on, and let us know where you’d draw the line—or where you think it’s fair game.
#1
If you don't have a paper trail, make one. Follow up on verbal conversations via email confirmation
"Regarding our discussion earlier, I just wanted to clarify the following points....You brought up XYZ to which I responded ABC. You then confirmed XYZ followed by ABC... If this isn't correct, please let me know."
You can save entire email chains via PDF btw
"Regarding our discussion earlier, I just wanted to clarify the following points....You brought up XYZ to which I responded ABC. You then confirmed XYZ followed by ABC... If this isn't correct, please let me know."
You can save entire email chains via PDF btw
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76points
#2
From an advisor in college: “do not attribute to malice what can best be attributed to stupidity.” Is it right to assume most people are idiots? Morally maybe not. Does it keep me calm knowing people are not inherently out to get me? Yes.
65points
#3
Find something to say “no” about early on when meeting people in any capacity, whether it’s friendship, a relationship, someone you may be doing business with, even an organization you may be volunteering with. It’s not about being difficult or inconvenient. 1) It’s about establishing that you are a person who has boundaries and 2) It’s important to know who will respect them and who will try to cross them.
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65points
#4
Don't give 100% energy to any job, or that will be the baseline standard they'll come to expect from you.
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64points
#5
Lie on your resume? No. Strategically phrase your inexperience? Absolutely.
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47points
#6
Work only when you feel like working.
In other words, give yourself permission to have low energy days—days when you're only Pareto efficient (putting in 20% of the effort that yields 80% of the results).
You'll find that you're far more productive when you're in your prime, and in the long run, you’ll avoid burnout and make greater progress on your task list.
Tested, confirmed, and highly recommended.
In other words, give yourself permission to have low energy days—days when you're only Pareto efficient (putting in 20% of the effort that yields 80% of the results).
You'll find that you're far more productive when you're in your prime, and in the long run, you’ll avoid burnout and make greater progress on your task list.
Tested, confirmed, and highly recommended.
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44points
#7
If you’re higher intellect and you can pull it off, pretend to be dumber/more redneck/lower class than you actually are especially at work. I work trades and lean in on the stereotypes and biases people have against southern accents and redneck speech patterns. If a time comes you gotta whip out the intelligence it’ll be more impactful than otherwise plus you’d be amazed what people think they can tell you when they don’t realize you’re actually smart as f**k.
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43points
#8
Have appliances that make your life easier. Buy the air fryer. Buy the dishwasher. Buy the tumble dryer. Buy the robot vacuum. Thank me later.
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37points
#9
A job description for most places is just a string of tasks that will require on the job training. Unless you're operating on someone's life or it requires years of training, apply anyway. There are plenty of unqualified people winging it in upper level management who know half of what you know.
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34points
#10
Don't say anything the first 6 months on a job to figure out the politics
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34points
#11
I am not legally obligated to pay my father's debts. Meaning when he died overseas without a will and I was the only one who bothered to notice. I simply moved into his foreclosed house, that he built on family land, declared him dead and quitclaimed the deed to myself on behalf of his estate. Mortgage for who? Not me.
33points
#12
The best way to be build confidence is to pretend to be confident. Eventually it will authenticate itself.
29points
#13
BCC your personal email address on work emails that you don’t want to lose - such as conversations with HR or important information
26points
#14
At a job, it is better to be liked than it is to be great. Don’t be bad at what you do but you don’t have to be amazing. Half the people who work with you aren’t.
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26points
#15
You don’t have to actually be nice you just have to be nice enough to not be rude
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25points
#18
When I'm signing up for a company's rewards card, I make up a birth date. So many of them have birthday gifts you have to use the week or month of, and instead of spending all of April driving around making sure I get them all, I spread them out throughout the year.
Obviously not at places where you get ID'd, the dispensary knows when my birthday is 🤣 But Ulta gives me a gift in May, Sephora in July, and I get free coffee multiple times a year.
Obviously not at places where you get ID'd, the dispensary knows when my birthday is 🤣 But Ulta gives me a gift in May, Sephora in July, and I get free coffee multiple times a year.
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20points
#19
It’s ok to drop your « friends » not all, but the ones that don’t give a damn about your well being, same for family, not everyone cares about you, so you have to have the give-give mentality ( except for your kids and your nuclear family) the being a bigger person could invite some opportunitists and psychopaths into your life and it’ll be hard to get rid of them after… Respect yourself
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20points
#20
Hospital bills don’t get reported to credit bureaus and nothing happens if you don’t pay them 🤷🏻♀️
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19points