London - Pearls of wisdom passed on by our grandparents stay with most of us for the rest of our lives, a study has revealed.
Gems such as “practice makes perfect” and “never go to bed on an argument” are among the tips retained by two-thirds of adults forever.
Researchers in Britain revealed the most common advice from grandparents is “Good manners don’t cost anything”, followed by “You can only do your best”.
The poll of 2 000 adults revealed that the average person has retained 22 tips handed down by their grandparents, and that grandmothers tend to give better advice than grandfathers.
It found that 70 percent think the older generation is wiser than their peers due to years of life experience.
More than one in 10 said granny’s advice led to better career prospects and 11 percent said it had a positive effect on their love life.
So much so, that nearly two-thirds of adults regularly pass on their grandparents’ advice to others.
Ali Crossley, executive director of McCarthy & Stone, who conducted the research, said: “Even as adults we continue to turn to grandparents for their take on any dilemmas we are facing.
“Although many of the pearls of wisdom are well-known phrases that we are all familiar with, there is a lot of truth in many of them.
“It’s these little snippets of advice which tend to get passed down from generation to generation.
“These pieces of advice might be small, but the very fact they stay with us for years on end proves they hold great weight.”
Over half (56 percent) of people admitted to hearing themselves say things to their children that their grandparents said to them.
Aside from the words of wisdom, other skills we have learnt from our parents parents include cooking, baking, gardening and budgeting.
Of the 2 000 adults polled, 71 percent said their grandparents have had a huge impact on their lives.
Crossley added: “It’s heartening to learn so many adults take on board advice their grandparents give them and how they have impacted their lives.
“The research really does demonstrate the ‘wisdom of the ages’ and how much we learn and value from those in later life.
“Our ageing population also means that we can now benefit from this wisdom and life experience for many more years to come.”
Completing the top 30 list was the profound “Life will have high peaks and low valleys, and neither is forever. Enjoy the peaks, pull yourself out of the valleys and keep going”’.
More unusual words that didn’t make the top 30 include “Forgiveness is the key to happiness”.
TOP 20 PEARLS OF WISDOM
1. Good manners don’t cost anything
2. You can only do your best
3. Don’t buy what you can’t afford
4. Treat others the way you would like to be treated
5. A smile can get you a long way
6. You don’t get something for nothing
7. Practise makes perfect
8. Never accept a lift from a stranger
9. Work hard at school because qualifications are the one thing that can’t be taken from you
10. Family first
11. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all
12. Don’t ask, don’t get
13. No such word as can’t
14. Neither a lender nor borrower be
15. Don’t swim after eating
16. I want never gets
17. Never go to bed on an argument
18. Never drink alcohol on an empty stomach
19. A happy marriage is the foundation to a happy family
20. Never go out with wet hair.– Daily Mail