2: Don't wait around for last call.

I have a number of friends that would be willing to throw down fisticuffs over this rule. They boast of closing down bars as if it were a heroic accomplishment (in all fairness, I used to do the same thing). But what does it really mean to drink until last call? Usually that you've annoyed the bartender until they no longer have any desire to keep serving you.

Like anywhere else, it's better to leave and be missed than to stay and be a nuisance. Call it lame if you'd like, but I'll remember that when I'm ready to tailgate an early football game and you're too hungover to get out of bed.

1: Its better to be not understood than to be misunderstood.

Say what you mean. Don't sacrifice meaning for clarity. If your audience doesn't get it then take some time and reflect on the message you're trying to convey. When you're misunderstood your audience can walk away with misconceptions you may never get the chance to correct.

For a wonderful case study see what Walter Kaufmann writes about Elisabeth Forster-Nietzsche's bastardization of her brother's work.