A missing date can turn obsolete advice into apparent wisdom.

Advice that was correct at the time keeps circulating long after the conditions changed. Without a date attached it reads as timeless principle rather than as a response to a specific situation, and people follow it into circumstances it was never meant for.

When you find a strong recommendation, look for when it was written and what was true then. This applies to guidance about money, health, technology, and careers particularly. And when passing on something that worked for you, say when it worked, since that is the piece that lets someone judge whether it still applies.