Reddit users are sharing the worst advice they have ever received, with responses covering bullying, mental health, relationships, and major life decisions. The question was posted on AskReddit.
One user asked Reddit, “What’s the worst advice you’ve ever gotten?” The answers quickly showed how simple advice can create serious problems.
Reddit Users Say Some Advice Does More Harm Than Good
One of the most popular answers targeted a familiar piece of childhood advice. “Ignore the bullies, they will get bored and leave you alone,” one Redditor recalled hearing.
The user said ignoring bullies had the opposite effect. They said bullies saw their silence as weakness. “They now see you as an easy target because you don’t fight back,” they wrote.
The same Redditor also criticized another common response to social anxiety. “Just talk to people,” they wrote sarcastically. “Really? Is that all I have to do???”
Other commenters shared similar frustrations about advice regarding mental health. One user said someone once suggested they simply stop feeling depressed. “Have you tried, you know, not being depressed?” the Redditor recalled. They responded by comparing the suggestion to telling someone with cancer to stop having cancer.
Another user said a doctor once gave them similarly frustrating advice. “Well, have you tried just not thinking about the pain?” the doctor allegedly asked.
The Redditor said they experienced pain around the clock. They questioned how ignoring it could help. Bad relationship advice also appeared throughout the thread.
One Redditor said their father repeatedly encouraged them to leave their high school girlfriend. The user said their father believed relationships would limit their opportunities. Eventually, the Redditor followed that advice and ended the relationship.
“Well eventually I decided dad was right and broke up with her,” they wrote. They said the decision negatively affected them for several years.
Another Redditor recalled receiving particularly manipulative dating advice. “Marry an uglier guy so he feels grateful forever and does whatever you want,” they wrote.
The user questioned the logic behind the suggestion. They also wondered why anyone would consider that arrangement healthy. Other responses focused on advice that dismissed people’s emotions.
“But what are you so sad about?” one user wrote. Another person criticized the phrase, “Just be happy.”
Several commenters said they had been told 'everything happens for a reason' after losing loved ones — a response many found dismissive. One Redditor described advice that initially damaged their confidence but ultimately pushed them forward. Someone had once told them — an aspiring filmmaker — to abandon their creative vision and accept failure.
Instead, the Redditor used that negativity as motivation. They continued creating and improving their skills.
“The worst piece of advice I got also turned out to be one of the best,” they concluded.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the personal stories described in this thread. The details above reflect individual users' accounts as shared on r/AskReddit.
