13.) If giving the name of the city you live in, the college you attended, and the company you work for is your life story, it's time for you to get a new life.

Start by disconnecting your cable and putting the television in storage.

12.) When it comes time for a difficult conversation, always tell the hard truth first.

David Brin's Advice to High School Graduates

Be ferocious. Be curious.
Use darts, dice, and balls to explore campus.
Good stuff.

11.) You don't really understand something until you've taught it to someone else.

Whether it's self-defense or particle physics, if you really want to master a subject, go back and introduce someone with absolutely no experience whatsoever to the subject.

10.) Do yourself a favor. Learn to study as early in life as possible.

9.) Be careful of any situation you have to reason through logically. If you need to work to reason out the matter, you're probably missing something that has absolutely nothing to with logic - like somebody's feelings.

8.) Avoid anything idiot-proof.

Idiots will stymie themselves regardless of what safeguards are put into place, but the streamlining that constitutes idiot-proofing removes all the little snags and customizations that might inspire a stroke of genius.  When you see "idiot-proof" read "genius-proof."