--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And how we become like our parents! How…" description: "\"And how we become like our parents! How their scorned advice - based, we felt in our superiority, on prejudices and muddled folk wisdom - how their opi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_and-how-we-become-like-our-parents-how-t_2989220.png" --- # And how we become like our parents! How their scorned… ![“And how we become like our parents! How their scorned advice - based, we felt in our superiority, on prejudices and muddled folk wisdom - how their opinions are subsequently borne out by our own discoveries and sense of the world, one after one. And as this happens, we realise with increasing…” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_and-how-we-become-like-our-parents-how-t_2989220.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_and-how-we-become-like-our-parents-how-t_2989220.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_and-how-we-become-like-our-parents-how-t_2989220.png) > “And how we become like our parents! How their scorned advice - based, we felt in our superiority, on prejudices and muddled folk wisdom - how their opinions are subsequently borne out by our own discoveries and sense of the world, one after one. And as this happens, we realise with increasing horror that proposition which we would never have entertained before: our mothers were right!” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We inherit parents’ flawed wisdom, yet over time we discover its hidden truth, confronting our own prejudices. **In simple terms:** Parents’ advice may be wrong yet later proven right. Key Takeaway Reevaluate inherited beliefs with openness. Themes family growth prejudice Mood reflective insightful Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - parental guidance - personal development - educational settings Key Concepts intergenerational learning cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - Which inherited belief have you reconsidered? - How does questioning prejudice change your worldview? A Different Perspective Blindly rejecting parental input can limit learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Like Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-parents/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mothers Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mothers-right-740613/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Parents Scorned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-scorned-4688786/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Propositions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/propositions/) [Realising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realising/) [Scorned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scorned/) [Superiority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superiority/) [Superiority Prejudices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superiority-prejudices-4688787/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [In the end, Mothers are always right. No one else tells the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-susan-meyers/in-the-end-mothers-are-always-right-no-one-else-tells-the-truth/) [Randy Susan Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-susan-meyers/) > [I'm like all parents who try to shelter their children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najat-vallaud-belkacem/i-m-like-all-parents-who-try-to-shelter-their-children/) [Najat Vallaud-Belkacem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najat-vallaud-belkacem/) > [You know what I can't stand? These little girls that get pregnant and don't grow up, they think they can just carry on with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheyenne/you-know-what-i-can-t-stand-these-little-girls-that-get-pregnant-and/) [Cheyenne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheyenne/) > [Like my parents taught me, never give up, and always love what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-chen/like-my-parents-taught-me-never-give-up-and-always-love-what-you-do/) [Nathan Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-chen/) > [We all have those dreams of going back in time and seeing what it was like when our parents were younger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-helberg/we-all-have-those-dreams-of-going-back-in-time-and-seeing-what-it-was/) [Simon Helberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-helberg/) > [“It's like parents choosing to raise their own standard of living rather than to provide for the future of their kids. You wouldn't consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-engdahl/it-s-like-parents-choosing-to-raise-their-own-standard-of-living/) [Sylvia Engdahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-engdahl/) > [TRUE friends are like parents. Sometimes, you don't like what they're saying, but they always love you enough to tell you what's RIGHT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-friends-are-like-parents-sometimes-you-don-t-like-what-they-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In 'The Big Chill,' those characters are in middle age, thinking, 'Oh, God, I've turned into my parents. I've failed.' And in 'Beside Still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lowell/in-the-big-chill-those-characters-are-in-middle-age-thinking-oh-god-i/) [Chris Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lowell/) > [You know how kids are. They like to do what parents do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-lendl/you-know-how-kids-are-they-like-to-do-what-parents-do/) [Ivan Lendl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-lendl/) > [“I like parents, old-school, old-world parents. So real. Just think of all they've seen in their lives. They were born in another world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laleh-khadivi/i-like-parents-old-school-old-world-parents-so-real-just-think-of-all/) [Laleh Khadivi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laleh-khadivi/) > [I was little there were times I wanted my parents to be normal. I wanted them to have a religion. I wanted them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gael-garcia-bernal/i-was-little-there-were-times-i-wanted-my-parents-to-be-normal-i/) [Gael Garcia Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gael-garcia-bernal/) > [I like my parents but they are just not good parents. They are nice enough people. I'm not interested in hurting their feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-carolla/i-like-my-parents-but-they-are-just-not-good-parents-they-are-nice/) [Adam Carolla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-carolla/) > [I don't like my parents; I never will. I didn't cry at either of their funerals. I haven't missed them for five seconds. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-small/i-don-t-like-my-parents-i-never-will-i-didn-t-cry-at-either-of-their/) [David Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-small/) > [I always wonder what my life would be like if I had parents like the other kids who went to my high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stormy-daniels/i-always-wonder-what-my-life-would-be-like-if-i-had-parents-like-the/) [Stormy Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stormy-daniels/) > [“I'm Penryn. I'm named after an exit off Interstate 80." "Nice." They nod as if to say they understand what it's like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ee/i-m-penryn-i-m-named-after-an-exit-off-interstate-80-nice-they-nod-as/) [Susan Ee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ee/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A low-minded person should not be given good advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-low-minded-person-should-not-be-given-good-advice/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/if-your-clothes-are-enough-to-drive-would-be-friends-away-they-re-not/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [My relationship with Ibrahimovic was completely neutral. He is not the type of player to approach the younger players and give them advice. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-coman/my-relationship-with-ibrahimovic-was-completely-neutral-he-is-not-the/) [Kingsley Coman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-coman/) [Browse all 8,535 Advice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And how we become like our parents! How their scorned advice - based, we felt in our superiority, on prejudices and muddled folk wisdom - how their opinions are subsequently borne out by our own discoveries and sense of the world, one after one. And as this happens, we realise with increasing horror that proposition which we would never have entertained before: our mothers were right!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander McCall Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-how-we-become-like-our-parents-how-their-scorned-advice-based-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-how-we-become-like-our-parents-how-their-scorned-advice-based-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_and-how-we-become-like-our-parents-how-t_2989220.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_and-how-we-become-like-our-parents-how-t_2989220.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_and-how-we-become-like-our-parents-how-t_2989220.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And how we become like our parents! How their scorned advice - based, we felt in our superiority, on…” — Alexander McCall Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander McCall Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "And how we become like our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-how-we-become-like-our-parents-how-their-scorned-advice-based-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-how-we-become-like-our-parents-how-their-scorned-advice-based-we/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```