15 Pieces Of Advice From Smart Women Who've Been There Before

Some advice lands harder when it comes from women who have already lived through the messy parts. In this roundup, readers shared the lessons they wish they had known sooner, from boundaries and self-respect to choosing peace over people-pleasing.

The original prompt asked women to pass along the kind of wisdom that only comes after a few hard-earned lessons.

Here are 15 of the most memorable replies, and a few of them may sound uncomfortably familiar.

#1 Treat one another as human.

#2 Boundaries are important.

#3 Anger is powerful.

Some of these replies get straight to the point.

#4 Put yourself first.

#5 You can't please everyone.

#6 Indulge yourself.

#7 Choose your battles.

That advice gets more specific from here.

This is similar to the WIBTA dilemma over brutally honest dating advice that strained a friendship after heartbreak.

#8 Be kind to yourself.

#9 Do what makes you happy.

#10 Relationships change.

#11 Build your tribe carefully.

A few of the later comments are especially blunt.

#12 Practice saying "no."

#13 Learn to let go.

#14 You're the star of your life.

#15 Don't let anyone take advantage of you.

A lot of readers will recognize themselves in at least one of these.

Before you judge “tough love,” read about the friend who blamed her for dating advice after a breakup.