In "Family Instructions", Yan Zhitui criticized the extravagant and wasteful life of the noble gentry, and advocated frugality in response to the gentry's extravagant and wasteful style. Yan Zhitui also criticized the aristocrats' jealousy of talents and abilities, scolding these people for not being able to see their own eyelashes and for not overestimating their abilities. In view of the jealousy of talents among the nobles, Yan Zhitui made a special statement on the issue of talents in the chapter "Mu Xian": first, he called for the importance of talents; second, he pointed out that we should be good at discovering and using talents; third, he emphasized the need to Care for talents. "Yan's Family Instructions" has a dedicated chapter on "Health Preservation", which describes various methods of health preservation. Yan Zhitui believed that one should not be arrogant and suffer punishment, and be greedy and indulge in misfortune, otherwise there would be no life to support. The author also puts forward the view that "life should not be spared, but life should not be cherished". This is the inheritance and development of Mencius' thought of "sacrifice one's life for righteousness", which has always been valued and advocated by gentlemen. Yan Zhitui attaches great importance to maintaining life, and regards avoiding disasters throughout the body as the first priority in maintaining health. Although he values ??the existence value of individual life, he does not cherish life blindly. He has two completely different attitudes towards the value of life: one is the loss of a worthless life, which Yan Zhitui thinks is a pity; the other is the loss of a valuable life, which Yan Zhitui thinks is not a pity.

Yan Zhitui's "Yan Family Instructions" is an important classic in ancient China that "expounds the methods of establishing a person and managing a family, and correcting the fallacies of current customs." Scholars of all ages have spoken highly of it. Wang Sanpin praised "the ancient and modern family motto, which is regarded as the ancestor". Yuan Zhong believes that the ancient and modern family law "Yan Family Instructions" is the most correct and has been passed down the longest. Wang Yue had a higher evaluation and believed that "every article of medicine and stone can provide a lesson. Anyone who is a disciple of others should have a copy of it at home and regard it as a clear instruction, not just the Yan family." "Yan Family Instructions" is indeed a shining pearl in the history of Chinese cultural development.