# Things your parents told you that stuck with you **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 24, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446 "2014-09-24T17:12:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/21 "2014-09-25T01:30:57Z")
My favorite expression to this day was one my dad used to great effect: if a frog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his ass. I think of that almost every day. I’m 41. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/22 "2014-09-25T02:07:18Z")
If you’re going to do something, do it right. I’m 31 ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/23 "2014-09-25T02:32:11Z")
If you don’t stop doing \_\_\_\_ I’m going to rip your arm off and beat you with the bloody stump. Mid 40’s and to this day, I won’t watch slasher movies. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/24 "2014-09-25T02:47:42Z")
From my grandpa, concerning not messing with things that aren’t yours: “You look with your eyes, not with your hands.” From my dad concerning keeping some things private: “You don’t have to tell people everything you know.” ---
**Author:** ![yawuntz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a5b964/32.png) [@yawuntz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawuntz)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/25 "2014-09-25T02:48:45Z")
“If you fly with the crows you’re gonna get shot at.” I’ve always remembered that, not that it ever stopped me. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/26 "2014-09-25T02:59:48Z")
Don’t believe anything you hear; and only half of what you see. If the dog didn’t stop to take a shit he would’ve caught the rabbit. Don’t ever lose your sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/27 "2014-09-25T03:31:02Z")
“Fool’s names and fool’s faces Are always found in public places.” ~~My Old Man ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/28 "2014-09-25T04:06:48Z")
Many many years ago I was with my mom and we drove past a trailer park and I asked her why these people live in trailers but have Corvettes parked out front and she said something I’ll never forget (and still repeat) “Everyone spends their money differently”. She went on to explain that maybe they live in a trailer SO they can afford a nice car and gave an example of how we go out to eat often and take one vacation a year and our good family friends almost never go out to eat but take three or four vacations a year. A few weeks ago my mom was driving me home from surgery and we drove past a trailer park (might have even been the same one) and I started telling her about when she told me that story. I got to the part about the Corvettes and she said ‘well, everyone spends their money differently’. From my dad: Never talk about religion, money or politics. It’s a good way to piss off half the people. This was business advice, but it’s good life advice as well. I find myself biting my tongue a lot when I hear people spouting off, what I consider to be, ignorant crap. I mean, why jump in and try to correct them when it’s just going to mean getting into an argument with some random person who’s mind I won’t change and who I’ll never see again. ---
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/29 "2014-09-25T04:14:00Z")
My dad told me, when I happened to be listening, “happiness is not a state of mind, it’s a way of life”. It stuck and it’s helped me often. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/30 "2014-09-25T06:58:04Z")
My father: \*“You’ll always be a bum; you’ll never amount to anything. I can’t believe you’re my son.” \* Who says words don’t hurt? ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/31 "2014-09-25T07:51:33Z")
:(You are useless ---
**Author:** ![stolatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@stolatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolatt)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/32 "2014-09-25T11:24:57Z")
Every parent is a rookie. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/33 "2014-09-25T11:32:49Z")
“Only boring people get bored.” “A person who will hit a dog will hit a child.” “Stop being so bossy.” ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/34 "2014-09-25T13:28:18Z")
My father has always been the type to be impressed with financially successful people. He said this to me when I was 19. I had just met a girl and was telling my parents about her. > [@](#): > > Its just as easy to fall in love with a rich girl as it is with a poor girl. For me that phrase has pretty much defined how I look at my father and it has stayed with me ever since. I am 46. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/35 "2014-09-25T13:41:38Z")
Let’s see… My dad: “Don’t ever apologize for anything unless you really mean it. People will know when you’re full of shit, and they won’t respect that.” My mom: “There’s always going to be someone out there smarter than you, stronger than you, faster than you. You need to concentrate on being the best you that you can be, not trying to be better than someone else.” My grandfather: “Don’t ever start fights, but if you’re in one, make sure and finish it.” and something that I don’t remember the exact wording for, but it was along the lines of there being no shame in getting your ass kicked for standing up for yourself/what you believe. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/36 "2014-09-25T14:16:25Z")
My dad drilled into my head to “conduct yourself in a manner that is above reproach at all times.” I’m 41. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/37 "2014-09-25T14:17:56Z")
From my dad - “If its already broken, you can’t make it worse by trying to fix it” - of course, he regretted that later as the house burned down, but, the philosophy is still sound. From my mom - “You were a pill baby” ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/38 "2014-09-25T14:43:01Z")
> [@Shodan's Mother](#): > > Soembody has to be the grown-up. I’m 58. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/39 "2014-09-25T14:44:43Z")
My mom told us you should be at least as polite and kind to the people you live with as the ones you don’t, if not more so. From my dad I got, “Never play poker with a man named Doc.” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446/40 "2014-09-25T14:50:20Z")
From my Mom, and her mother - “Many hands make light work”. A good example is cleaning up after a Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone would kick in and go into overdrive. In about 30 minutes, all done. It taught good skills about working as a team. I’m 54 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-your-parents-told-you-that-stuck-with-you/699446.md?page=3)