Central Perk, Pivot, Transponster, Unagi– are some words we heard from our favorite show FRIENDS. The show first aired in 1994 and since then it has never stopped ruling our hearts. Even after 25 years since the last show, the actors still earn in millions as royalty. It is always on the top-10 list of most-watched shows on Netflix and we might wonder why?
It is a good question to ask and to ponder on- Why are people crazy about FRIENDS? Stating the obvious that it is funny, relatable and addictive, but did we learn anything from this show?
Lessons We Learned from FRIENDS Characters
Below are the lessons learned from from the popular series ‘Friends’:
1. Life’s not always awesome and it is OKAY
We feel miserable at certain times and life is not always easy. Not once in the show, we were shown otherwise. The characters hit rock bottom and came out of that. Rachael started with nothing and created a life for herself.
Monica lost her job and tipped the mailman with cake which he was not a big fan of. Joey lost the biggest break of his life and so many other difficult times that they went through just like us. We can see our lives through the characters that make bad decisions, fail and then get back again.
2. Lessons on Friendship
The whole show is based on the theme that life gets a lot easier when we have our friends around. No failure is bad enough and no joy celebrated correctly if not with our friends.
When people move away from their homes to a new city, creating a life for themselves; friends make the process a lot easier. So we should definitely applaud the characters for teaching us the lessons on friendships and conveying the emotions so perfectly.
3. Change is a part of Life
No matter how much we hate change and grumble, the truth is that it’s inevitable. All the characters took the plunge and tried to change the things they were not ready to accept. Chandler quit his job in order to find his true calling. Ross lost his job but he discovered that he could be a good teacher.
4. Girl-code
We of course love the Joey-Chandler duo and absolutely adore their friendship but the girls friendship on the show did teach us some valuable lessons.
- It’s fine to cry over your failed relationships– even better if you do it while wearing a bridal gown and a beer.
- Always be there for your girlfriends-when your girl friends need you, be therefore ugly breakups, problems with parents, even when they run away on their wedding.
- Cover for them- We cannot forget how Phoebe covered up for Rachael’s pregnancy, and that is the kind of support we should offer our friends.
- Never steal their Thunder- This one should be a thing where girls try to not steal the limelight from their friend’s big day especially if it’s their engagement day.
- Motivate them to be their bearer – Always motivate each other to be the best version of them. Be their cheerleader for their big days and enjoy with them.
5. Phoebe’s Lessons on compassion
We can all agree on and Phoebe was one of the best characters ever, she was always an amazing friend, sister, and daughter. There were a lot of things that we should learn from her like her love for her friends and people who are close to her, not just people but also her love for animals and resentment to all things evil. We should try to look at the world like she did and if people cared as much as her the world would be such a beautiful place.
6. Laughing out loud
Now we sure learned who life was just a little better with friends and laughing your heart out with them would be a great way to deal with so many bad things in our lives. Joy gets doubled when it’s shared, and we are thankful to this show for always making us laugh.
7. Never Compromise
This lesson is a general one but we learned from the group that sometimes when we don’t settle with what we have we may end up in a better place which we were unaware of. This is also applied to dating; Cheating is cheating even if you were on a break!
8. Don’t crash people’s weddings
This cannot be stressed enough that it is not good to crash other people’s weddings and especially your ex’s, where you aren’t even invited. We know how that results in all the saying the wrong name thing.
9. Sharing is good but not when it comes to food
The most important lesson we learned from Joey was to be vocal about the things we are not comfortable with. If you love something or hate something be clear about that. Food is not supposed to be shared. Also, there is nothing wrong with liking your curves and protecting your sandwich when a car backfires.
10. Some Blind dates can turn out well
We may despise this concept of going on a blind dates but it worked out well for Phoebe who found the right guy because of Joey’s mistake. Don’t we all love Mark and want a guy who is just like him.
11. Celebrate little things
Here’s a fact, Life isn’t fair but you have to accept it. There are a lot of times when we weigh the bad parts more than we do the good ones but the show taught us to look at the bright side and celebrate the little things and people that you have in your life. Even when you don’t feel like celebrating having a few friends around you to share it with is enough.
Twenty-five years later we watch this show and feel like this is exactly what I’m going through in my life but you also feel amused looking at the characters moving on from that having a good time. The show makes us forget about the worries and make us laugh even after watching the show for the 100th time. The show holds a special place in our hearts and the character makes us feel good about ourselves.
So for many years to come, we will still watch this show and have a good time.
Also Read: 10 Relationship Lessons To Learn From FRIENDS