25 people share the best life advice their moms have ever given them

Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 12, 2022. It has since been updated.

As adults, many of us have had that "ohhh..." moment when we realize something our moms used to repeat to us while growing up that actually makes a lot of sense. While we might have dismissed their words when we were young, once we've had the chance to be disillusioned by a couple of jarring life experiences, it becomes clear that our moms really know what they're talking about. Reddit user u/giggglygirl gave many people the chance to show off their moms' wisdom a few years ago when they proposed this query to the r/AskReddit community: "What’s the best advice your mom ever gave you?"

Here are 25 of the top responses to their question:

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"When I was a pre-teen she told me 'as you get older you're going to think everyone around you is changing. It's not them that are changing, it's how you see the world that is changing.' I thought that was super weird advice, but as I got older and started to see adults for who they really were it really made sense. They weren't changing, I'd just never noticed that side of them before. I genuinely think it's why I wasn't a bratty teen because I knew my parents were still the same parents, I was just seeing everything differently." — WrackspurtsNargles

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"In exasperation, my mom told me, 'When you show up late, it tells people that you think your time is more important than theirs.' I used to be chronically late to nearly everything. And that statement just crushed me because I love my mom and my friends and would never purposely be disrespectful. I had just never looked at it that way before. I'm rarely late anymore and it's been amazing how something so seemly small has improved my relationships and has all-around made my life better and less stressful than I could have expected. Wish mom would have laid into me sooner." — midnight_trains

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"'You don't regret the money spent on travel.' My mom was always kind of thrifty and we traveled cheaply, but we traveled. To convince me her advice was solid, she asked the adult me if I remembered what our couch looked like when I was 12, or what I got for Christmas. I couldn't remember. Then she said, 'What about the trip we took to the Grand Canyon that summer?' Memories galore." — FeatofClay

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"My two favorites from my mom: 'Never trust anyone whose flaws you can't see. It means they're hidden deep.'

'As a parent, don't pat yourself on the back or blame yourself for how they turned out until they're 40.'" — estrogyn

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"You don't have the right to ruin anybody's day. It's a simple and probably very optimistic advice when it comes to some very annoying people, but I try to follow it whenever I can." — Queen_of_Hearts23

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"My mom has given me lots of good advice, a few ones stick out to me. Upon asking her why she had quit work to raise her kids, she told me 'Many people lie on their death bed wishing they had spent more time with family. No one lies there and thinks they should have worked more.'

She liked to tell me growing up 'we all have our cross to bear' as a reminder of the fact that we all have our struggles, and it helped me be more empathetic to others.

'My freedom ends where yours begins.'

'Always do your best, even if it means a C and not an A, if it’s your best, then you did well. If anyone asks you to do more, tell them, I am doing my best. And they have to respect that because as long as you work your hardest it is the truth. No one can do more than they can.'" — volvavirago

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"'You can't please the world so you have to please yourself.' That and, 'don't settle for something that is similar to what you want; be patient and save up for what you really want.'" — Caeldotthedot

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"You have to be happy being single before you can be happy in a relationship." — otter89

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