Accepting others' life choices is something most people only learn with age.

Fear makes you docile.

I've seen rock stars agonize over the fact that another artist has far more Facebook 'likes' and Twitter followers than they do.

Because it's so easy to medicate our need for self-worth by pandering to win followers, 'likes' and view counts, social media have become the metier of choice for many people who might otherwise channel that energy into books, music or art - or even into their own Web ventures.

Fame won't make you feel any better about yourself.

Never ask a woman if you may kiss her. Instead, learn to read body language.

When the Internet first came into public use, it was hailed as a liberation from conformity, a floating world ruled by passion, creativity, innovation and freedom of information. When it was hijacked first by advertising and then by commerce, it seemed like it had been fully co-opted and brought into line with human greed and ambition.