Do you like getting advice — from family, friends, teachers, coaches or even an Artificial intelligence chatbot? Or, do you bristle when someone offers suggestions on how to improve your life?
Do you like giving advice to others?
In the Morning newsletter “Good Calls,” Melissa Kirsch shares her favorite submissions from New York Times readers about the best advice they had received in the last year. Here are a few:
Your parents are also doing things for the first time. Cut them some slack. — Katie Claytor, Richmond, Va.
Don’t think harder, breathe deeper. Most of us are surviving on shallow sips of air. — Carly Sotas, Los Angeles
We tend to forget that baby steps still move us forward. — Becki Moss, Sarasota, Fla.
Write what’s bothering you down on a piece of paper; put it in a little box. A year later, read what’s in there and see if you don’t start laughing. — Diane Huebner, Merced, Calif.
Even in the hardest of times, you have the ability to whistle in the dark. — Kate Chimenti, Los Gatos, Calif.
Don’t pick up the rope: When someone is starting to argue, state the facts calmly and walk away. — Laurel Givens, Houghton, Mich.
Put away your phone whenever there is a human being in front of you. — Emily Herrick, Vashon, Wash.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
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What is the best advice you’ve ever received? Describe who shared it with you, what circumstances prompted it and why it resonated.
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What’s your reaction to the advice shared by Times readers? Do you find any of these tips meaningful? How might you apply any of them to your life in 2026?
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In her introduction to the newsletter, Ms. Kirsch writes, “I think we all love receiving well-meaning guidance; we just bristle when it arrives unbidden, when it lands as thinly disguised criticism.” Do you like receiving advice, or does it frustrate you when others offer you suggestions, especially when you didn’t ask for them?
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Do you like giving other people advice? If so, how is it generally received? Is there any wisdom you have shared that you think was particularly helpful?
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What’s one bit of wisdom you would like to share with other young people?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
Jeremy Engle is an editor of The Learning Network who worked in teaching for more than 20 years before joining The Times.
The post What’s the Best Advice You Have Ever Received? appeared first on New York Times.
