Not only is ‘Friends’ one of my favorite shows ever for being one of the funniest and featuring a stellar cast that had the best on-screen chemistry in the history of sitcoms, but it’s also a great source of life lessons. From seeing how the gang handled their issues or how Ross and Rachel survived being on a break, the show really made relationships even a little bit easier by showing us how to handle some less than easy moments.
Here are five life lessons that ‘Friends’ taught us.
Sometimes All You Need is a Hug
We live in a world now where physical contact is becoming less common. What a shame! A hug is a wonderful thing and can be just the thing you need when you’ve had a bad day. Leave it to ‘Friends’ to remind us that maybe a warm embrace with your close buddies will make everything better at that moment. So go hug a friend.
Life Requires Taking Risks
What if Rachel never got off the plane? If that episode where Rachel got off the plane to Paris to come back and be with Ross taught us anything, it’s that sometimes you need to take risks! If we don’t, we’ll just never get that job or that relationship. And what a shame if it was there waiting for us, but we were just too afraid to try. Thanks, Rachel (and Ross); lesson learned.
Everybody Has His or Her Own Lobster
Sure, Phoebe has her quirky way of making normal sounding things sound a lot stranger. But by lobster, she more or less meant something along the lines of a soulmate. And how cute was it when Ross told Rachel that she was her lobster? Anyways, the point is that there’s someone for everyone. Feeling lonely? Don’t worry – your lobster is out there feeling the exact same way.
Coffee Shops Are a Way to Start, Spend, and End Your Day
Considering as how Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe all spend pretty much their whole day in Central Perk despite having jobs and kids, we can safely assume that coffee was the glue that brought them all together. Coffee and good conversation. I wish I could spend 47% of my day at a coffee shop with my friends!
Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover
This goes for a few moments in the show, including the short and eccentric stripper, Phoebe’s gay ex-husband and ice skater, and Monica and Chandler ending up together. The point? That you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Sometimes people will surprise you! In the stripper’s case, he may have seemed like the wrong choice at first, but he ended up being quite endearing.