How many times have you gotten into a heated discussion with your parents? Many times, right? Now, let’s go back to your most recent fight… Are they trying to convince you that they are right? All the time? Congratulations, you have “normal” parents.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re five or a young adult, parents will always believe that what they say is the “absolute truth”. So… Are parents always right? Of course not. They are just delusional… I’m just kidding! Think about it, parents can’t be always right because they are human. Here’s my take on this matter: parents fake it till they make it. Yes, I said it. Parents don’t know it all, because they are on the same journey as you, the journey of life, however, they are older than you meaning that they have taken a couple of more steps than you. Nonetheless, being older and having more experience doesn’t necessarily mean that all their advices are pure gold. But hey… they may not always be right but they always have the best intentions — they mean well, even when they are giving terrible advice.
Parents want a safe life for their children, I never heard a mother or a father saying that they desired a tough life for their kids. They truly want them to do well in life, which comprises the following: getting a good degree, a nice job and a reliable life partner. And now you are probably wondering: how do you rate those three things? Well, let’s try to use a little bit of empathy here. Parents are very pragmatic people, hence a good degree is something that will help you get the nice job. In their world, good jobs pay the bills, any other activity that doesn’t generate enough income to support yourself is a hobby. Though I agree with that statement, I also believe that one can turn “hobbies” into reliable sources of income that can used to support oneself. Last but not least, a reliable partner is someone that: respects you, loves you for who you are, willing to share their life with you and most of all, financially secure. Well, that sounds nice but… where can I find this person? The older I get, the more I realize I can’t have it all.
Having said that, parents aren’t always right but they do mean well. Parents will always “push” their kids towards the direction they believe is right, but sometimes that same direction might not be what is right for the kid or what she/he aspires in life. So what should one do? The same thing: we push ourselves towards the direction we believe is “right” and from that moment on, it becomes our “absolute truth”.
