People Break Down The Most Unforgettable Things Their Dad Ever Said To Them

The wisdom imparted to us from our fathers can resonate with us long after they've gone.

Their advice based on acquired life experiences may not register with kids, but over time, once they start adulting, they'll realize in retrospect that dad's valuable lessons should never be taken for granted.

Curious to hear examples of this, Redditor Aggressive-Car-8960 asked:

"What is something your father said to you that you will never forget?"

These are all about perspectives, and changing how you view certain things can suddenly bring them into better focus.

Forgive Yourself

"You can be upset at something you did wrong for 5 minutes or 5 months, nothing changes except the amount of time you punish yourself."

– SarcasmGPT

"Cognitive behavioral therapy is for this exact kind of behavior."

"CBT is literally re-training your thought habits. Just like you can break the habit of biting your finger nails, you can break what your mind has habits of thinking about."

"When you recognize yourself pulling up a memory of something embarrassing from high school, practice telling yourself that it absolutely doesn’t matter, nobody remembers it but you, and you need to think about something else."

"Practice pivoting your brain to something else that requires focus in those moments. Like try to remember all of the steps and measurements in your favorite recipe, for example. Or a fantasy, like you’re on a big wooden ship at sea."

"Every time the thoughts pop up, bounce them. Think about something else."

"Eventually it’ll be automatic."

– Conscious_Raisin_436

Before You Go

"Make sure that when you die, that it's the last thing on your list left to do."

– 2kids2adults

"I love this! Simple but profound!"

– real_live_mermaid

Money Talks

"$5000 isn’t a lot of money to have, but it’s a lot of money to owe. I keep this in mind every time I have to make a large, financed, purchase."

– Sir_Lemming

Road Rules

"(When learning to drive) Always remember, everyone else on the road is an idiot."

– General_Student_877

"Mine was 'if you ever see children near a roadway, always assume they’re half a second away from doing something really stupid.'”

– Heiruspecs

"Absolutely. And when you slow right down and are super careful and the little kid does his dash anyway, but you’re way back and can stop; then you get that priceless moment of looking into the eyes of the parent with the horrified face."

"Saved a life."

– Polymath6301

"Mine told me: 'don't look right in front of the car when you're driving; look down the road a bit.' Made driving instantly 100% easier. I still remember it."

– blooobolt

Getting Older

"No one ever really grows up. They just grow tired"

– HD-MC-NYC

"Alternatively from my papa, 'you have to grow old, you don't have to grow up'. That 70 year old man still goes out riding his quads whenever he feels like it."

– NotNormalLaura

Dads know a thing or two about leading a stress-free life.

A Twofer

"2 sentences that are stuck in my head until this day:"

“If you get yourself into the ditch you have to get yourself out of the ditch”

“The more things you have the more things you have to worry about”

"He was right."

– metricsnow

Getting Out Of A Rough Spot

"My dad told me something similar to your first one when we were talking about drugs, sex, and the whole shebang. I swore to myself I would never forget it."

"Youre growing up, and people are going to ask you to make grown-up decisions. Making grown-up decisions means dealing with grown-up consequences. But you don't have to deal with those consequences alone if you don't want to."

"My dad grew up the youngest of three brothers who fought constantly, with a father who had walked out on Christmas day. His mom did her best, but obviously had to work a lot to support three boys. He didn't have anyone to help him deal with his consequences."

"I've taken him up on that more than once, and he's always been there for me. He's my hero, and while I never be the man he is, I'm going to keep trying til the day I die."

– PzykoHobo

Brotherly Love

"When I was a young man at the age of 16, my brother and I fought a lot. Beat the sh*t outta each. My uncle passed away and it was the first time I saw the toughest man I know cry."

"He sat my brother and I down and told us both we needed to end this and find some common ground and at least try to get along. F'kin broke me. Here I am at 40, and my brother is my best friend, dunno how I could do it without the little f'ker."

– EntranceShot5358

The Sweet Spot

" 'Earn enough money to die someplace warm.' A Seattle father."

– LibertineOnTheLoose

"And dry and sunny. To hell with the snow this week."

– DamnBored1

" Funny, I’m trying to earn enough money to die someplace cold (Southern humidity + 85+ temps in Spring does not make for a pleasant existence)"

– One_Parched_Guy

Dads are always looking out for your best interest.

Dating Advice

"I want you to be with a man because you want to, not because you have to."

"I was struggling with college and hated going. The only reason I went was because my dad pushed me so hard to. My mom constantly told me to drop out and basically told me it was okay to be too dumb for college. Dad refused to let me quit though."

"He had two sisters who had stayed in abusive marriages because they were SAHMs who had no education, little to no job experience, and no way out. He refused to let me end up like that and wanted me to be with someone because I loved them, rather than out of survival."

– Technical-Banana574

Social Skills

"I talked a lot as a kid (still do). My sister was complaining that I talked too much, that I even talked to strangers like I knew them and it was weird! My dad told me never to stop talking to people, never stop making connections, because in the long run connecting with others is all that matters."

– Providence451

Good Rule Of Thumb

"'Measure twice, cut once' - It started out as a woodworking thing in our basement or garage, but has been something that I apply in everyday life. Any decision of great import, I double-check myself."

"How heavy is this decision? Will what I do need to be undone? Will it affect others? Measure twice."

– funkabillybongo

While we can't speak for everyone, some dads don't get enough credit for how much they show up for their kids.

Sure, the dad jokes are groan-worthy, but one day, you'll regret not having fully appreciated them, or at least responded with courtesy laughs, when you stop hearing them forever.

Hug your dads because they deserve love too.