We’re often told that the key to success is working hard, staying diligent, and doing things the right way.
But in reality, the people who get ahead are often the ones who know exactly when to cut corners.
On Threads, users shared the not-so-ethical tricks that actually helped them win in life. Below is a roundup of their most surprising tips. Scroll on, and let us know where you’d draw the line—or where you think it’s fair game.
I am not legally obligated to pay my father’s debts. Meaning when he died overseas without a will and I was the only one who bothered to notice. I simply moved into his foreclosed house, that he built on family land, declared him dead and quitclaimed the deed to myself on behalf of his estate. Mortgage for who? Not me.
If you’re higher intellect and you can pull it off, pretend to be dumber/more redneck/lower class than you actually are especially at work. I work trades and lean in on the stereotypes and biases people have against southern accents and redneck speech patterns. If a time comes you gotta whip out the intelligence it’ll be more impactful than otherwise plus you’d be amazed what people think they can tell you when they don’t realize you’re actually smart as f**k.
Come in extra early for the first 1-2 months of a job and build a relationship with the manager.
Then whenever you really don’t feel like going to work, just don’t show up.
If the manager likes you and you’re always showing up early, they’ll believe whatever you say and let it slide
(Just don’t do it too much 😅)
Tell the car rental company that the car smells like weed before you leave the garage. Then you can smoke all you want on your trip
A job description for most places is just a string of tasks that will require on the job training. Unless you’re operating on someone’s life or it requires years of training, apply anyway. There are plenty of unqualified people winging it in upper level management who know half of what you know.
If you don’t have a paper trail, make one. Follow up on verbal conversations via email confirmation
“Regarding our discussion earlier, I just wanted to clarify the following points….You brought up XYZ to which I responded ABC. You then confirmed XYZ followed by ABC… If this isn’t correct, please let me know.”
You can save entire email chains via PDF btw
If you have a privilege, use it. Know someone at the company? Have them put in a good word. Your uncle is friends with the DA? Have them talk next time you get in trouble. Got money? Use it to make more money. You can feel guilty about it if you want, but use every advantage you can to get ahead, cus you can bet your ass the next guy will.
1. Don’t fully trust karma. Yeah, it will shows up-but usually after you’ve already lost half or everything.
A reminder to always be careful and make smart choices.
2. Don’t trust any part of teaching or religion that tries to tell you what to do with your money.
3. Be careful with overly help/giving.
Only help hardworking folks who who faced something unexpected/bad luck. Otherwise, the universe might throw some wrath on you bcs you just prevent someone from learning an important lesson.
Work only when you feel like working.
In other words, give yourself permission to have low energy days—days when you’re only Pareto efficient (putting in 20% of the effort that yields 80% of the results).
You’ll find that you’re far more productive when you’re in your prime, and in the long run, you’ll avoid burnout and make greater progress on your task list.
Tested, confirmed, and highly recommended.
Have appliances that make your life easier. Buy the air fryer. Buy the dishwasher. Buy the tumble dryer. Buy the robot vacuum. Thank me later.
Unethical tips/hacks that helped me.
Take the risk, do the dumb thing that makes you happy. You can’t learn from your past when you haven’t done anything.
Lie to people. They don’t need to know everything about you.
If someone undervalues something valuable, DO NOT correct them. Take the discount that their ignorance offered you. 9/10 they wouldn’t do the same for you.
If you find money, it’s yours. If you find a wallet, find the owner and rerurn it all.
From an advisor in college: “do not attribute to malice what can best be attributed to stupidity.” Is it right to assume most people are idiots? Morally maybe not. Does it keep me calm knowing people are not inherently out to get me? Yes.
Being selfish at work is not a crime, actually it makes things easy and helps you grow faster and its good for your mental health
8/10 it’s better to apologize after doing what the f**k you want if anyone is even upset, then it is to ask anyone if you’re allowed to do it
Ask for fries with no salt. That way, they have to cook a fresh batch and you get hot fries every time. I keep a salt shaker in my car.
Sometimes it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
For women: Be over-dramatic. Yell out loud because of any minor disrespect. Speak up even when you seem overly sensitive or crazy.
To be frank ! Marrying a rich man does make a woman’s life better nd easier . Not unethical but just an observation. Marry a good man who has assets and knows what he’s doing in life .
Be a good liar… and make sure people think you are bad at lying.
And play dumb whenever you can. It gets you out of trouble, and people will be willing to help you more.
I had a former “friend” who always told his mom and me that he had to work or work late no matter what he was doing the only thing he’d really say was that he is “busy working.” He was a business owner so he did have a full schedule but he was going on dates, partying with friends and just trying to keep his free time private from his overbearing mom. I keep this strategy in my back pocket.
When I’m signing up for a company’s rewards card, I make up a birth date. So many of them have birthday gifts you have to use the week or month of, and instead of spending all of April driving around making sure I get them all, I spread them out throughout the year.
Obviously not at places where you get ID’d, the dispensary knows when my birthday is 🤣 But Ulta gives me a gift in May, Sephora in July, and I get free coffee multiple times a year.
Crying makes a surprising amount people super f**king uncomfortable. If you happen to be a super emotional person like me, don’t fight it. Use your power. Make it a really ugly cry. *Especially* against the popo.
Per my dad growing up- Let them swing twice or connect once, then it’s always self defense, even if you started it
BCC your personal email address on work emails that you don’t want to lose – such as conversations with HR or important information
When you’re wronged, pretend to be the better person. If you can properly time when you pull out the receipts, you can bring a narcissist to their knees and people will thank you for it.
At a job, it is better to be liked than it is to be great. Don’t be bad at what you do but you don’t have to be amazing. Half the people who work with you aren’t.
Do not volunteer for anything. And most things in life you can just say no. Zero guilt.
Work only when you feel like working.
In other words, give yourself permission to have low energy days—days when you’re only Pareto efficient (putting in 20% of the effort that yields 80% of the results).
You’ll find that you’re far more productive when you’re in your prime, and in the long run, you’ll avoid burnout and make greater progress on your task list.
Tested, confirmed, and highly recommended.
Mid privilege is a thing. People are generally nice to me but don’t get weird. I can be out in public and feel safe. I’m not invisible and I don’t have a target on my back. Bothered me when I was younger but I cherish it now.
If your work involves you being in front of the camera, get cosmetic surgery
Being better than everyone else was a big help. Kind of felt unfair, like a grown up competing against babies.
Hire, fire, rehire and refire. Take all the credit for your employee’s hard work, while you go on a 6 month long ‘business trip’ to the Bahamas. Bliss!
This isn’t what I do, but this is what business people do. All the time. Employers make themselves rich, while making their employees poor.
You never have to nor required to provide your kids or your own social at hospitals, doctors offices, specialists, pediatricians, dentist, really anything medical. Fraud happens all the time and you never know if it’s because records were improperly disposed. It makes it harder for them to credit file upaid bills against you. If they say they need it or push for it just say you don’t recall your/your kids social and they’ll leave it be. Idk why this isn’t taught often enough.
Assume everyone at work will f**k you over if it gets them ahead and organize your receipts accordingly. Not everyone will but enough will try that you should already have your defence prepared. The best defence is a good offense, after all.
It’s ok to drop your « friends » not all, but the ones that don’t give a damn about your well being, same for family, not everyone cares about you, so you have to have the give-give mentality ( except for your kids and your nuclear family) the being a bigger person could invite some opportunitists and psychopaths into your life and it’ll be hard to get rid of them after… Respect yourself
lie in interviews. I’m not saying lie about your education or something that could get you fired. But I’ve made up situations in my head that demonstrated my ability to work well with coworkers or my problem solving skills. I have the skills, just haven’t been in situations to demonstrate them. confidence is key!
After you’ve secured your new job, quit the old one, effective immediately. A 2 weeks notice is a courtesy, not a requirement. FTJ and FTP! ✌🏾
Never mention if you have kids, at work. Stay elusive. I got a standing desk free from work due to “back problems”. Don’t reveal too many tips so u stay winning while they lose.
Never give out your real birthday unless legally required. Except for your doctor, your government docs and your HR department, no one needs to know that. Workplace ageism is real and so is identity theft using your personal data.
Find something to say “no” about early on when meeting people in any capacity, whether it’s friendship, a relationship, someone you may be doing business with, even an organization you may be volunteering with. It’s not about being difficult or inconvenient. 1) It’s about establishing that you are a person who has boundaries and 2) It’s important to know who will respect them and who will try to cross them.
Use all them systemic loopholes and never feel guilty about effing the system
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