All I Ever Needed To Know About Life, I Learned From the Hornblower Series

• Character counts.
• Fake it 'til you make it. (Sometimes the smoke is all the enemy needs to see.)
• Take heart--even a cardboard frog can catch a hero.
• The truest friend understands what you DON'T say as much as what you DO say.
• Make sure that your position on the chart is plotted accurately before you try to navigate by it.
• Don't count your prize money before you get into port.
• Measure a man by what you see him do, not by what others tell you he has done.
• Be very wary when someone "asks" you to volunteer.
• If in doubt, just say, "Aye, aye, sir" and go with the flow.
• In the long run, it's better if push never comes to shove...
• Don't prevaricate.
• A little more diplomacy will never go amiss.
• There is a fine line between a courageous act and a foolhardy one.  Know the difference.
• Some duels are worth fighting.
• Never underestimate an enemy, but never overestimate an ally.
• Lead by example.
• If you're going to tick someone off, make sure it's not the person with paranoid delusions who holds your life in the balance
• Have friends in high places AND low.
• Every now and then, do things that scare you.
• Be quick to give.
• When all else fails, jump.  You'll be all right.