40 Things I Learned in My First 40 Years

• The greatest philosophical mistake is to demand proof for the obvious.  See Hume.
• The second greatest philosophical mistake is to try to prove the obvious.  See Descartes.
• If you can't explain your position clearly in simple language, you probably don't understand it yourself.
• Voters are irrational.  So is believing otherwise.
• Be friendly as a matter of policy.  Turn the other cheek in the face of ad hominem attacks.  It might seem crazy, but it works.
• Obsessiveness is an powerful solution for physical and social problems.  Unfortunately it's also a major cause of emotional problems.
• People vary more widely than you think.  Tell yourself it's nobody's fault.
• Your mind ages at a slower rate than you expect when you're young, your body at a faster rate.
• Despite everything, life in First World democracies is amazingly good by world and historic standards and will keep getting better.  So cheer up.
  
  - More of Bryan Caplan's Wisdom Here