Charlie Munger once advised a boy to avoid certain behaviors that can lead to misery, such as doing cocaine or racing trains. It's often easier to identify what can bring misery than what can bring joy. Instead of focusing on how to get ahead, it can be helpful to focus on how to not fall back. Munger also provided a list of bad advice, including allowing expectations to grow faster than income, envying others' success, and pursuing status at the expense of independence. He also cautioned against mimicking others' strategies, associating net worth with self-worth, and letting envy guide goals. Additionally, Munger advised against assuming wealth is equivalent to wisdom, viewing every conversation as a competition, and assuming people care about where one went to school. He also warned against prioritizing defending beliefs over learning, assuming the past was golden, and believing that all success is due to hard work and all failure is due to bad luck.