Some of these sorts of pieces of advice are sort of dogmatic, but I think I want to look behind them, to see whether there is some underlying principle that might be worth discovering.
[I checked up on Google, and found that there are at least 4 variations on this list, and it appears that it's in the form of an image just to make it harder to copy. But remember, when you're talking about advice, or teaching materials: steal all you see, keep all you steal, use all you keep.]
First and foremost: these are intended to be "father-son" advice, so the items having to do with relationships with women are particularly poignant. Inter-gender dynamics have evolved over the years, and these tips reveal a sensibility that could still make sense.
(A) So let's look at Dad's advice on dealing with women:
1. Go for women you perceive to be “out of your league.” You’ll surprise yourself.
2. Never have sex with anyone who doesn’t want it as much as you do.
5. Never take her to the movies on the first date.
7. Nothing looks more badass than a well-tailored suit.
17. Compliment her shoes.
39. Always go out into public dressed like you’re about to meet the love of your life.
43. Women find confidence sexy as hell.
That first one is a gem. Generally speaking, from a man's point of view, women tend to present themselves as if to intimidate men who might be interested. But they get stuck in a rut, and continue to act distant or reserved indiscriminately. It is probably a good idea to ignore class implications if you're looking for a relationship; a classy woman will be polite enough that you can have a fair shot at presenting yourself. This whole business of presenting oneself as higher-class than one really is has to be dealt with each person for himself; there are pluses and minuses in faking how classy you really are. Anyway, if your ambit fails after a while, well, move along.
Having sex with a reluctant partner is just silly; there's always time for sex on a later occasion. There are too many problems with being the one who wants the sex more.
Movies? That does kinda make sense; you want to talk on those early dates. So: a meal, dancing, some sort of activity--a concert, a game, places where you can study each other without being too obvious. In a dark movie theater, guys have all the wrong instincts ready to go!
Shoes? That one doesn't compute; compliments are always welcome if they're sincere, but why shoes? Perhaps other items of clothing are a little too ... dangerous?
Confidence is good. Generally, presenting yourself as just as confident as you really are is a good plan, but when going out on a date, overstating your confidence makes it easier on your lady friend. Imagine how awkward it is for her, if she has to be your Mom! Be confident; never mind about being sexy.
The well-tailored suit: unfortunately, this is still true, in many cases, and this is not just an observation about inter-gender strategy. Dressing in a suit for an important occasion is still a good plan: it says that you respect all the other parties involved, including waiters, performers, everyone, and not least your date. And well-tailored is something not to be taken for granted. As long as it is possible to get a tailored suit, this advice stands.
(B) This set has to do with personal style, the things that young women will find strange, but more mature women, who have observed men with both approval and disapproval, will notice with interest.
4. Every hat should serve a purpose.
6. Learn to wet shave.
8. Shave with the grain on the first go-around.
9. Always look a person in the eye when you talk to them.
12. Brush your teeth before you put on your tie.
14. Call your parents every week.
15. Never wear a clip-on tie.
16. Give a firm handshake.
18. Never leave a pint unfinished.
19. If you aren’t confident, fake it. It will come.
21. Be conscious of your body language.
23. Always stand to shake someone’s hand.
26. Keep a change of clothes at the office.
30. When you walk, look straight ahead, not at your feet.
31. Nice guys don’t finish last. Boring guys do.
34. No matter their job or status in life, everyone deserves your respect.
Hats: I guess this advice was given at the point in time when hats were beginning to go out of fashion. It says: don't wear a hat just for show. You have to figure this one out for yourself. Wet shaving; shaving with the grain: well, okay. Maybe some folks have an opinion on this. (Shaving against the direction of your beard results in scraped skin; it's something I only do on special occasions, and using as little force as possible.)
Some of these, such as not wearing clip-on ties are, as I said, matters of personal style. A clip-on tie looks pretty silly, especially if it comes off, by accident. I don't know about leaving a pint unfinished; there must be some deep meaning there that eludes me.
Standing to shake hands is something I stand behind. It is very refreshing to anyone to be given this degree of automatic, minimal respect. It goes with no. 34: give respect as a matter of principle. As a young man, I was often rude, and now I regret having been that way.
(C) Another group of these pieces of advice are about planning, thinking ahead.
3. Never hit anyone unless they are an immediate threat.
10. Buy a plunger before you need one.
11. Exercise makes you happy. Run, lift, and play sports.
13. A small amount of your paycheck should go directly into your savings account every month.
22. The only reason to ever point a gun at someone is if you intend to shoot them.
24. Never lend anything you can’t afford to lose.
27. Buy high quality tools, so you only have to buy them once.
29. Go with the decision that will make for a good story.
32. Find your passion and figure out how to get paid for it.
37. Do what needs to be done without complaining. Complaining won’t help speed things up.
38. Never stop learning.
42. Luck favors the prepared.
44. Do whatever you want to do in life, but be the best at it.
45. No one lies on their deathbed wishing they had spent more time at work. Enjoy your life.
It's all about thinking ahead, and having some decisions made beforehand. Buying a plunger; deciding to fight, keeping your body in shape. Saving. Carrying firearms. Lending and borrowing. Investing in quality tools and equipment. Deciding on an occupation. Education and training. Keeping a balance between work and recreation. Some of this advice is trivial, but easy to forget. Other pieces are really priceless suggestions.
[Added later: No. 24 is particularly good advice. An aunt of mine once said: never lend to a good friend. Just give them whatever it is; otherwise, the loan will stand between you, and you will end up valuing the loan higher than your friendship. Often, the friend will return the item--hopefully in fair shape. If you never get it back, you have to weigh its value; if it is one of the most valuable things you own, politely ask for it back. Your friends might have actually forgotten that they had borrowed it.]
Finally, (D) we have several suggestions about personal attitude. Attitude, those mental adjustments that really pave the way for quick thinking and decisions, are very important to have thought out beforehand, and kept ready. It is a different sort of thinking ahead: these are patterns of thought that make decisions easier:
20. You can tell the size of a man by the size of things that bother him.
25. Ask more than you answer. Everybody likes to talk about themselves.
28. Manliness is not only being able to take care of yourself, but others as well.
33. Don’t let the little head do the thinking for the big head.
35. The most important thing you can learn is personal responsibility. Bad things happen; it’s your job to overcome them.
36. The first one to get angry loses.
40. Don’t change yourself just to make someone happy, unless that someone is you.
41. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.
A big man isn't bothered by trivialities. No. 20 makes you realize that being petty reveals more about you than you might want people to know. 25 is about trying to make yourself interested in whomever you're having a conversation with. It is a priceless gift, to make yourself interested in someone. On the face of it, the advice is just to make it appear as if you're interested. But it is better to be interested.
The advice about responsibility, of not losing your temper, of not making decisions based on your libido, these are all difficult. About changing yourself: to do it for someone else is a terrible thing. Because, if you don't like how it goes, you would blame the other party. Change must come from within, and you have to be on board with it, and do it for yourself. (Don't expect change from your significant other; you've got to take them the way they come.)
Finally, another piece of advice about people who might be superior to you. It is a companion exhortation to the very first one: don't be put off by smart people unduly. I mean, it is pretty miserable to be surrounded by a bunch of snooty geniuses. But it is just as silly to seek out the company of people of lower intellectual ability just for the sake of being comfortable with them. It is not very different from pursuing a woman who might be your superior, at least in attitude, if not fact!
In conclusion, some of this advice is less than genius grade, but a lot of it is very good advice indeed. Incidentally, going for women who are out of your league: you're not going to surprise yourself--after all, it is a deliberate plan. But, I think the author meant that you just might be surprised at how the woman responds.
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