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The 5 Worst Pieces of Advice I Have Ever Received As a Young Person

The wisdom that's supposed to help but only hinders
Profile picture of Marios Stamos

Created by Marios Stamos

Published on Jan 30, 2025
frustrated young man with his head in his hands sitting at a desk
MikeCherim via Canva

*Out of Touch by Daryl Hall & John Oates plays in the background*

For many young people, the career and life advice passed down by older generations sometimes feels like a relic from a world that no longer exists. While I appreciate that the advice is well-intentioned (most of the time), sometimes what is said ranges from completely tone-deaf, to downright harmful.

These are the most frustrating and sigh-inducing nuggets of "wisdom” that I had the misfortune of being bombarded with while I was growing up. 

You Aren’t Working Hard Enough if You Aren’t Successful 

The assumption of this misguided advice is that hard work alone is the key to success, but that oversimplifies a complex issue. 

This not only promotes an unhealthy workaholic mentality and makes people feel inadequate if they aren't seeing the results they expect, but it also doesn't take into account that success is influenced by many factors beyond just individual effort. Some of these factors include luck, privilege, access to opportunities, systemic barriers, physical and mental health, and family background. Being a hard worker of course is important, but unfortunately in this day and age, it's not always enough. 

Be Thankful You Even Have a Job 

The sad reality is that many jobs today do not provide livable wages, adequate benefits, or long-term stability. Simply having a job is not enough to ensure financial security or a decent quality of life.

This piece of advice discourages me from advocating for better working conditions, fair compensation, and opportunities for advancement. Of course, I am grateful to have a job, but just because I have a job, that doesn't mean I should feel eternally indebted and accept substandard and abusive treatment. 

It also fails to acknowledge the power imbalance between employers and employees. While employers do provide jobs, we, the employees, are also providing valuable labor and contributing to the company's success. The relationship should be mutually beneficial, not one where we feel like we should be kissing the ground they walk on. 

Stop Worrying About It (Regarding Mental Health Issues) 

This type of advice perpetuates harmful stigmas around mental illness and discourages people from seeking the care and support they need. It can isolate people who struggle with mental health issues and make them less likely to reach out for help. 

Telling me to "just stop worrying about it" puts an enormous weight on my psyche and fails to recognize the complex, often deeply rooted causes of mental health problems. This can cause feelings of shame, guilt, or inadequacy for not being able to simply "stop worrying."

Dismissing mental health concerns minimizes the very real challenges and suffering that people with mental health issues go through. Depression, anxiety, trauma, etc, require professional support and treatment, not just willpower. These illnesses are legitimate medical conditions, not something that can simply be turned on/off or ignored.

Just Buy a House Instead of 'Wasting Money' on Rent

The advice to "just buy a house" is another example of older people failing to acknowledge the significant financial and economic challenges that young people face today.

Home prices have skyrocketed in recent decades, outpacing wage growth. This has made owning a home increasingly unaffordable, especially for first-time and younger buyers who may not have enough money saved. Taking on a mortgage, especially at a young age, can saddle someone with a substantial amount of debt that can limit their financial flexibility and resilience. 

Always Go Above and Beyond 

Don't you just love good ol’ exploitative work culture? 

The delusional assumption that doing more than expected will lead to a raise and a promotion is just not true. This advice perpetuates a toxic work environment where employers will take advantage of my willingness to work unpaid overtime or take on additional responsibilities without fair compensation.

Of course, I'm not advocating for people to just stop putting in effort at work. However, trying to constantly exceed expectations without something to show for is a surefire way to get me burned out and stressed. This will 100% negatively impact both my well-being and my long-term productivity.

Do you want me to truly go above and beyond? Reward the value I provide to your business and make it worth my time. And no, pizza parties aren't going to cut it.

 

Content Disclaimer: The views & opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of VoiceBox, affiliates, and our partners. We are a nonpartisan platform amplifying youth voices on the topics they are passionate about.

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