People Share The Strange Advice They've Received That Was Actually Super Insightful

Sometimes we get advice that makes no sense to us until years later.

Only with personal experience do we make the connection.

Reddit user deepsafferentk00 asked:

"What's a piece of advice you've received that initially seemed strange but turned out to be remarkably insightful?"

Focus

"I read somewhere a girl was practicing archery and kept messing up and the instructor told her, 'You’re failing because you’re too focused on the target and not your own actions'.”

"She said it was the best life advice she had ever gotten."

~ GreyKoala_

Friends

"'Show me who your friends are and I'll show you who you are'."

"That quote saved me from a whole group of bad people and changed my life."

~ hoewaggon

"We as humans tend to pick up the habits of the people we hang out with, so surround yourself with people whose habits you actually want to emulate."

~ inubasket

Easy

"'If it was easy, everyone would do it'."

"My father, the retired engine machinist."

~ pudge1824george

Barrier

"You need to get out of your own way."

"We are so often our own barrier to what we want."

~ LordyIHopeThereIsPie

Progress

"Progress, not perfection."

"Helped a lot to hear it when I did."

~ TheSunniestofBros

"Incremental progress is still progress."

~ Frosti-Feet

Stormy Weather

"Everyone is either going through a storm, coming out of the storm, or preparing to enter a storm. That is the cycle of life until you die."

"15-year-old me: 'Damn nana, that is such a negative point of view'."

"30s me: 'Holy sh*t, nana was right'."

~ bellabbr

Cut Ties

"Some people need to be excluded from social plans even if it makes you feel like a bad person."

"For context, a person in our friend group always killed the vibe and had tantrums. Finally my friend gave me this advice. She said I was so lovely and caring and inclusive, but..."

~ Not-From-Pakistan

Moving

"When you move the first thing you set up is your bedroom."

"When everything is chaos and you're exhausted from moving boxes all day you have a place to crash that is ready for you."

~ SuperstitiousPigeon5

Work

"Hard work gets you punished with more work."

"My job has us repair a certain quota of machines every day."

"I could do about 30%-40% above quota, but I work slow and make it look like I put way more into cleaning than I need to so they don't see those high numbers and raise the quota."

~ Reddit

"Learned this very early in life. If they expect you to do 50 and you do 70, then tomorrow they will expect you to do 70."

"And will get mad if you only do 65. You failed them and are now a slacker in their eyes and nothing will ever change that."

"So if they expect 50, then they get 50. On a good day they might get 52."

~ Casaiir

Driving

"When I had my learner's permit to drive, my dad always said 'Drive like you and everyone else has a baby in the car'."

"It was weird to me at the time because I was 15, but made me a pretty cautious driver because who would want to be responsible for a motor vehicle accident that harms a baby."

"But the words hit home now because I have a toddler and a baby."

~ Trick-Rest-3843

Defensive Driving

"My parents taught me defensive driving because 'no matter how safe you are, it only takes one asshole to cause an accident'."

"I drive safely, but I also fully anticipate crazy people doing crazy sh*t and that's saved my skin several times."

"Take a second look even if you have the right of way, leave enough space between cars, and be aware of your surroundings."

~ Embarrassed-Street60

Motorcycle Safety

"When I started riding a motorcycle, my father said 'Ride as though EVERYONE is actually TRYING to kill you'."

~ PitBullFan

Comparisons

"'Comparison is the thief of joy' and likewise, 'Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good'."

"Stop looking to others to set the rules for your own life and for what happy or successful means."

"Don’t obsess or focus too much on small details when it’s the bigger picture that you frame to make a life and what makes work, work."

~ alwaysboopthesnoot

Routine

"'The next best thing to perfection is standardization'."

"Mostly when it comes to the workplace and the procedures for how certain things get done. Obviously be flexible and ready for novel/creative approaches, but start from a standardized workflow instead of anarchy."

"This has also applied to home life, my boyfriend and I have been putting together a binder for household tasks of our 'standard assumption' way of doing things."

"Note I didn't say the 'right way', since as long as it gets taken care of that's the goal."

"But having a baseline assumption for things codified in writing in our relationship has helped a lot with money stress and chores."

~ Blenderhead36

Questions

"Ask anyways."

"Don't be afraid of asking 'stupid' questions, by doing this you'll be helping not only yourself but others that have the same doubts as you."

~ sweettpetitex

"Stupid questions prevent stupid problems."

~ PtylerPterodactyl

What advice have you received?