Things that my parents taught me

"The older I get. The smarter my father seems to get."
-Mark Twain

Here are some simple things that my parents taught me that stuck... thank God. I have reworded and combined a few to make it a concise list. Most of these were told to me directly on multiple occasions (...especially during a whoopin'). I observed a few by their example.

1. Only losers do illegal drugs.
2. Smart people have no need for television.
3. Christians love the privileges of reading the Bible and going to church.
4. Education is both a family and individual responsibility.
5. A fact without impartial proof is a lie, a guess, an assumption, or an opinion.
6. Successful people save their money. Wise people care very little about it. You can do both.
7. The world is full of people who are better, smarter, and wiser than you; find them, listen, and learn.
8. Proper grammar and a good vocabulary are the marks of discipline and hard work--not necessarily intelligence.
9. Doors were invented so that men would have something to open for other people.
10. Good men always protect women, the helpless, and the innocent.
11. Patriots volunteer to defend the citizens of their country.
12. Dishonesty equals disrespect.
13. "Repression" is the term that envious people use to describe the two virtues that they lack: discipline and chastity.
14. Empathy and patience are as important as air and water.
15. Arrogance ruins everything that it touches.
16. If you take time to critically question your own motives and actions, others won't have to.