35 Pieces Of Advice That Are Useless In 2023 But People Keep On Receiving Them

Bored Panda reached out to Sam Dogen, the host of the Financial Samurai blog and the author of the bestseller, 'Buy This, Not That: How to Spend Your Way to Wealth and Freedom.' He was kind enough to shed some light on adapting to an ever-changing world and shared his thoughts on what employees can do to continue to stay relevant in the job industry.

"Each generation operates in its own world, but may erroneously extrapolate how things were with how things are today. If one thinks this way, this shows failure to adapt to an ever-changing world," the personal finance expert told us via email.

"For example, I grew up in a world before the Internet for 18 years. Only until I got to college was I able to start surfing the web. If I was stuck in the past, I'd still be going to the library to do research instead of Googling for credible sources online!" he said.

"People need to change with the times, otherwise, they will get left behind. One thing I wonder is why we still need to spend four years or longer to get a college degree if we can now research and learn much quicker thanks to the internet? It makes no sense that the cost to attend college is also skyrocketing when most information can be found for free online," Dogen, the author of 'Buy This, Not That,' pondered.

"As a result, expect more and more people to reject the notion of going to college in the future."

Meanwhile, the host of the Financial Samurai blog revealed that the best way to stay relevant is to keep networking with people in your industry, as well as to keep your skills sharp and updated.

"I also recommend everybody build a brand online by starting their own dynamic website where they can share their thoughts freely. Having social media profiles on LinkedIn, X, and Meta are not good enough. You want to own your brand by owning your website to show your creativity, knowledge, and skills."

It’s vital to keep in mind that just because someone belongs to a certain generation doesn’t mean that they behave exactly like their peers. There’s a lot of variation. Assuming that all Baby Boomers are identically “outdated” in their beliefs would be just as hurtful as telling someone that all Millennials and members of Generation Z are “lazy” or lack ambition.

However, certain general trends and outlooks toward work and life do exist, even if there are plenty of exceptions and nuances.

The viral Reddit thread confirmed that different generations do have broadly different attitudes toward work, family, success, and life in general. And while that’s expected to a certain extent, in some cases, it seems like there’s very little overlap. Well, at least at first glance.

Sure, someone telling you that you’ll get a job if you head on over to a store, ask for the manager, look them in the eye, and give them a firm handshake isn’t all that helpful in the 21st century. However, the idea behind the advice—the importance of confidence, body language, and being proactive—is actually timeless. The specifics might change, but the context remains the same. 

What really doesn’t help, however, is if someone tells you just how easy it is to buy property. The economy and job industry have changed enormously over the decades. Unless someone puts in the effort to keep up with the news, they might assume that everyone can afford a house on their day job salary.

CNN reports that US home prices hit a new all-time high in July 2023, as property inventory hit historical lows. Homes in Chicago, Cleveland, and New York saw the biggest price increases in July, as well as June. What compounds the problem, aside from high prices and fewer properties to choose from, are the sky-high mortgages. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to over 7% in August of this year. This is the highest level in 20 years.

As we’ve written on Bored Panda recently, members of each generation tend to think that they see things far more clearly compared to members of older generations. For one, people tend to think similarly to their social circles. So if you’re surrounded with folks who think that Baby Boomers and Gen Y have outdated beliefs, you’re likely to think that, too. 

What does undoubtedly change, however, is the (rapidly advancing) technology, as well as the culture of the times.