Good mentors tell you the mistake they made at your age. It makes the advice feel real.

Advice from somebody who was apparently never confused is hard to use, because it quietly suggests the problem is you. Hearing what they got wrong at your age hands over the same lesson without the gap in status, so it becomes information instead of a verdict. It also makes it safe for you to admit what is actually going on.

When you are helping somebody, lead with the mistake you made rather than the rule you learned from it. Keep the specifics in. If you are the one being taught, ask what they got wrong early on.