Very true. But sometimes it takes a while to figure that out.

Correction: Even well brought up people are not in control of their lives, or not entirely. Advertisers and governments and whoever else who wish to influence us do so easily all the time.
We are social creatures – herd animals, like sheep. Not just THEM – everyone! (Apart from psychopaths, perhaps, but I'm not sure.) Ideas spread and become beliefs because people we feel kinship with believe them.
A social experiment was conducted in a doctor's waiting room where actors would stand up repeatedly at a signal, and almost all the non-actors copied the ridiculous behaviour – after a period of resistance.

It's meaningless advice.
Either a person was brought up to believe this, in which case the advice is not needed, or they haven't, and might as well be told to grow wings and fly.
Line up all parents and shoot those who don't love and respect their children – there won't be many people left alive, but it would be more useful in the long run.

I drive standard transmission vehicles, most people could not take me to the store

Good advice.