What are the best life lessons your father taught you?

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1. How not to treat your kids, I’m gonna do the opposite of his dead beat ass

2. How not to treat your kids or how to treat your partner

3. Stand up for yourself. Life is all about confidence and creating your own value, you won’t get things for free.

4. If you doubt, don’t proceed. He taught me this as a lesson to take for driving

5. Shut your fuckin mouth and do your fuckin work, he was a man with a broad vocabulary.

6. Work ethic. Do it right or don’t bother doing it at all.

7. If a girl goes down on you, make sure you reciprocate.

   Part of his bigger lesson on “a relationship takes equal effort from both parties,” but when I got sexually active that one really stuck with me and paid off.

8. Had a few fatherly influences.

   Biological Father-What not to be, alternatively, the dangers of substance abuse.

   Dad-That you don’t have to be blood to be family. The importance of communication and work/life balance.

   Grandfather-How everyone’s perspective is different, and the world’s shades of grey. To respect and understand nature.

   Work Father(s)-How to lead by example. The importance and impact of small kindnesses.

   Many, many more lessons, but those were the most poignant and formative.

9. Responsibility of your actions, listen more and speak very little. Never let emotion Cloud judgement, ALWAYS KEEP YOUR WORD, be the best you can be no matter your job, hope for the best whilst planning for the worst. If you’re going to go around with a pistol and have to use it, do not leave your target alive. Always always,always take care of family. Your own blood comes first. Never mistreat the woman you love. Find someone that makes you happy and content and put your ring on her finger. Believe in yourself. Use that high IQ you inherited and put it to good use. Your ambition should exceed your talent and your thirst for knowledge will never end. Right to tight left to loose. Never take shit from anyone.

10. My dad taught me very strong lessons:

    What other people want is important. What you want is not.

    Your wife’s word is law. Obey her at all times.

    Enforce your wife’s views on your kids, with violence if necessary.

    If you give up your dreams for other people, they will be happy.

    Men are no better than dogs and all forms of male sexuality are disgusting and filthy.

    If someone is violent and abusive towards you, never ever fight back.

    I was very lucky, I met some friends in my teens who literally saved my life and who raised me with better ideas.

11. To do the opposite of what he did…

12. Critical thinking and thoughtful problem solving. He is an Engineer through and through and the ability to independently think critically and to solve problems has been invaluable in my life. I notice people in similar positions to me without those skills struggle with things that I can sus my way through on my own. Being independent, solving my own problems and thinking things through thoroughly really jumps you ahead. That’s not to say I’m smarter or anything.

    Also rule one: RTFM or Read the Fucking Manual.

13. I have to admit, my dad (both my parents) are just good people. No strained relationship or abuse story to tell. I guess if I had to name “the best” life lesson it would probably be his example on how to love a woman. Growing up in that environment of where he actively showed and demonstrated his love for my mom, certainly played a roll in how I treated my SOs and of course my wife. I didn’t really realize that until well into my adult years.

14. Do shit the right way the first time, but also learn when to say, “fuck it, good enough”.

15. Not to ever have kids when you can’t provide.

16. Learning how to do something and being taught how to do something are 2 entirely different things.

    Discipline shapes the man you become.

    Keeping your hands within reach of guidelines but son never be afraid to let go and explore on your own.

17. Do better in life than he did. Don’t just follow in his footsteps, out pace him and go further than he ever could

18. Never depend on him because he will never be there when truly needed.

19. How to be a genuine, honest, respectful, decent human being who lives up to his word.

20. I use to work at an elementary school and for the YMCA. I would have kids often ask me to be their dad because they liked me that much. My secret? I just did what my dad usually did when I was a kid.

21. Take pride In your work. Every time we drive through the city “I built that” or “look how sloppy that brick work is”. If you can’t take pride in your work do you really have a purpose ? The man worked 30 years as a brick layer not making millions but one of the proudest men I’ve known.

22. That giving is better than receiving. During the holidays, he always took produce to the less fortunate who wouldn’t be able to make a holiday meal. Seeing their appreciation as a child stuck with me throughout my entire life. I really don’t ask for stuff but I still do what he did every year.

23. How to take a punch. Why i would never beat women or leave my kids.

24. dont be a alcoholic wife beating philandering drunk.

25. Talk to your kids. He taught me that by not doing it hinself.

26. Do not let substances take control of you. Specifically (and especially) alcohol.

    He became an alcoholic and while he never abused me or my brother, it did lead to some real bad fights between him and my mother. Eventually, his addiction ended up killing him and brought a lot of pain to the family.

    I’d like to say that I’ve stayed away from alcohol but peer pressure is a bitch and I’ve drank my fair share. That being said, I’ve never allowed it to take control of me and have drank only every now and then

27. Never let anyone know your full life story.

    Understand different cultures.

    When yelling at someone, and they ask you to not yell, yell louder, it works.

    Keep an air of mystery to you.

    Have wide interests and you will never be bored of life.

    Learn to cook for yourself.

    As a kid he was super great, above average at the very least, late teens and 20’s he kinda lost his edge, has become outdated. But, he’s been with my mom closing in on 50 years.

28. The one that had the most impact to me was: Learn from other people’s mistakes. Holy hell do people make a lot of mistakes! I’ve made it through life virtually unscathed because I saw the repercussions of all my friends’ bad choices.

    He also warned me to never let people know how much money you have. They can know you have it, just not how much.

    Lastly, always step back and remove emotions from a (major) decision.

29. If not a good lesson, then a terrible warning be.