If you were a teenager in the 70s, you probably remember these 7 rules that made absolutely no sense

Every generation grows up with its own rulebook.

And if you were a teenager in the 70s, yours was a wild mix of freedom and control.

You could ride your bike without a helmet till sunset, but God forbid you talked back to a teacher. You were told to “be yourself,” but only if that “self” looked and acted the way everyone expected.

Some of those old rules were meant to keep order. Others were just cultural leftovers that made no sense at all.

Looking back now, with everything we know about psychology and human behavior, it’s easy to see how strange some of those expectations were.

Here are seven of the most baffling “rules” many of us grew up with, and why they didn’t hold up to logic, science, or experience.

1) Don’t question authority

This was the golden rule of the 70s. Teachers, police officers, bosses, they were always right. You didn’t question them. You just nodded, followed instructions, and hoped for approval.

I still remember getting detention once for asking my science teacher why we had to memorize formulas instead of learning how they worked. She said, “Because I said so.” That was considered a valid answer back then.

But here’s the thing, questioning authority isn’t about disrespect. It’s about curiosity. It’s how systems improve and people grow.

Psychologists often talk about “internal versus external locus of control.” In simple terms, it means whether you believe your life is controlled by you or by outside forces. That old 70s rule trained a lot of people to hand over control, to bosses, to governments, even to social norms.

Thankfully, the 80s and 90s brought in a cultural shift. Kids started challenging ideas, not just following them. And now, questioning the system is seen as a strength, not rebellion.

Turns out, “why?” was the smartest question we could’ve asked.

2) Boys don’t cry

If there was ever a rule that aged badly, it’s this one. In the 70s, emotional expression had gender rules. Boys were told to “man up,” while girls were told not to be “too emotional.” Basically, no one got to be authentic.

Crying was seen as weakness, especially for men. But psychologists have since proven that repressing emotion doesn’t make you stronger. It makes you anxious, disconnected, and angry.

I’ve talked to plenty of guys who grew up under this rule. Many say they didn’t even have the vocabulary for their feelings until adulthood. They could describe a car engine in detail but not what they were feeling in their chest.

It’s taken decades for emotional intelligence to be valued. And now, research shows that the ability to process and express emotions is one of the strongest predictors of healthy relationships and career success.

So yes, boys can cry, and they should. It’s not a flaw. It’s a function of being human.

3) You can’t make a living doing what you love

This was practically a mantra for 70s parents. Art, music, writing, nice hobbies, but not “real” jobs.

Back then, financial stability meant sticking to traditional careers. Anything creative was considered risky or even irresponsible. The irony is that many of the most successful people today built entire careers around passion, often through industries that didn’t even exist in the 70s.

I started my own career through music blogging, which my parents couldn’t make sense of at first. It wasn’t a “job” to them, it was a pastime. But it opened doors, connected me with people, and eventually led me to writing about psychology and culture.

That’s the thing about doing what you love: it doesn’t always follow a straight line, but it’s the only path that keeps you engaged.

Of course, practicality matters. But the idea that passion and income are mutually exclusive, that’s one rule we can leave in the past.

4) Respect is earned through fear

“Because I’m your parent.” “Because I said so.” “Because that’s how it’s done.”

Those were the explanations we got. In the 70s, respect was less about mutual understanding and more about hierarchy. Parents ruled. Teachers ruled. Bosses ruled. And the rest of us learned to fall in line.

But fear and respect aren’t the same thing, not even close. Fear may create compliance, but respect creates connection.

I once worked for a manager who led with intimidation. He got results, but the team burned out fast. People left, morale dropped, and creativity disappeared.

Later, I worked under someone who led with empathy, who listened, gave feedback, and modeled calm authority. Everyone worked harder for her, not because we had to, but because we wanted to.

That’s when I realized what the 70s got wrong. Respect built on fear is temporary. Respect built on trust lasts.

5) Keep your problems to yourself

This one defined an entire generation. In the 70s, you didn’t talk about family struggles or personal challenges. You “kept it in the family,” and even within the family, you kept it quiet.

Mental health wasn’t part of the conversation. People dealing with anxiety or depression were told to toughen up. And therapy? That was for “crazy people.”

Fast-forward to today, and the research is overwhelming: social connection and openness are essential for emotional well-being. Studies show that people who talk about their problems, whether with friends, family, or a therapist, are not only happier but physically healthier.

I’ve mentioned this in a past article, but vulnerability isn’t weakness; it’s data. It tells you where your boundaries are and what you need.

For 70s teens who learned to bottle everything up, adulthood became a long process of unlearning that silence.

Talking doesn’t just heal; it humanizes.

6) Image matters more than happiness

Everything in the 70s was about appearances. You wore the right clothes, smiled for the camera, and pretended everything was fine, even when it wasn’t.

Families cared deeply about “what the neighbors would think.” Couples stayed together for reputation. Kids hid their struggles so they wouldn’t embarrass their parents.

The logic was that maintaining an image protected your social standing. But what it really did was create isolation.

I saw it firsthand in my own extended family. One relative went through a brutal divorce but still hosted perfect dinner parties like nothing was happening. Years later, she told me she wished she’d been honest sooner. “I spent so long performing happiness,” she said, “that I forgot what it felt like to be real.”

That stuck with me. Because pretending to be fine doesn’t protect you, it just distances you from the people who could actually help.

These days, authenticity is the new status symbol. People connect more deeply over realness than perfection.

The 70s rule of keeping up appearances? It didn’t create peace. It created pressure.

7) You must follow the same path as everyone else

This might be the most limiting rule of them all. Go to school. Get a job. Get married. Buy a house. Have kids. Retire.

That was the formula. Deviate from it, and you were labeled “lost.”

But that mindset came from a postwar generation that valued security over individuality. By the 70s, it was already outdated, people just didn’t realize it yet.

When I was in my twenties, I met a traveler in Spain who told me, “Most people don’t live their lives, they just follow instructions.” That sentence has stayed with me ever since.

The truth is, life isn’t linear anymore (and maybe it never was). Some people thrive as parents; others find purpose through creativity, travel, or community work. Some start new careers in their 50s or decide they’re happier renting than owning.

The 70s made deviation feel like failure. But now, it’s often the path to fulfillment.

If anything, the “standard life path” was the illusion, a map that left no room for the real terrain of human experience.

The bottom line

If you grew up in the 70s, you probably absorbed some of these rules without even realizing it. You might still feel a little guilty questioning authority, talking about your problems, or prioritizing joy over reputation.

But here’s the good news: awareness is the undoing. Every outdated rule can be rewritten once you recognize where it came from.

The 70s taught us discipline, endurance, and independence, valuable lessons, no doubt. But they also handed us ideas that quietly worked against our well-being.

Now, we know better. And the best part? We get to live differently, not by the rules we were given, but by the ones that actually make sense.