11 Invaluable Life Lessons We Learned From Watching Friends

I find it difficult to believe that there is one person on this planet who does not love Friends. The sitcom has been gracing our screens since 1994 – that is a whole 24 years of love, laughs and life lessons. Although filming of the show ended in 2004, we still have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to the valuable lessons these 6 besties have taught us. Here are just a few of our favourites.

Beauty treatments can and will go wrong

Whether it’s a hair cut, teeth whitening or a spray tan you’re getting, there is a small (or big) chance that this may go wrong. We’ve all been there, you’ve asked the hairdresser for ‘just a centimetre or two off’ and within the hour you have a pixie cut. It’s not ideal but it does happen. Ladies beware.

Starting from the bottom is a must

Just like Monica had to work as a server in the Moondance diner before she became head chef at a fancy restaurant, we too have to begin at the bottom in order to work our way up to where we want to be.

Rachel may have been serving coffee in Central Perk during season one, but she was rubbing shoulders with all the best in the biz at Ralph Lauren come season seven. With time and hard work we can all get our dream careers, we’re just going to have a few little crappy ones along the way, and that’s quite alright.

There really is no place like home

Although we may get excited about visiting new places and travelling the world, it’s normal to feel a little homesick when we get there. The food may be different, the people may seem a little odd, and before you know it you’re craving a chicken fillet roll and a little look around Penneys. Home will always be home and you really can’t beat the comforts that come with it.

Not everyone has the perfect family

Whatever your family situation may be, you are not alone. Whether your parents are separated, divorced, of the same sex, or transgender like Chandler’s, a lot of people are in the exact same situation as you. Word on the street is dysfunctional families are the new norm.

We all have looks we regret

Whether it’s a dodgy haircut or a not so flattering outfit. At the time we thought we were only massive, but in hindsight it probably wasn’t our best look. However, they are HILARIOUS to look back on, so best to just laugh it off and chalk them down as mistakes we learn from.

Being ‘just friends’ never really works out

As Monica and Richard soon found out, rekindling an old romance with the intention of being friends and nothing more is never really plausible. You have both had feelings for each other in the past, it is only a matter of time before all those feelings come flooding back and you’re sharing a bed together. Let’s not even start about the whole going ‘on a break’ situ.

Love your body

Whether you are tall, small, thin or thick, being comfortable in your own skin and accepting you for you is all that matters. We think Joey has the right mindset on this.

Your gender can’t stop you from doing a job

When Emma’s male nanny, or ‘manny’, is introduced to us in season nine, the topic of gender and careers is brought to the forefront. With the conclusion being that yes, maybe men can be child minders, and women can be what they want also. Apart from penis models – that one may be a little difficult even for the most trained of women.

Getting older is inevitable

It is something a lot of us wish we could stop. But we all have to get older, it is the way of life, and turning that dreaded 25, 30, 40 and so on is something we will all just have to accept and move on from.

Don’t wear leather trousers on a first date

It may seem like a great idea at the time, and yes they may make your bum look great, but if Friends taught us anything at all, it’s that nerves, sweating and leather do not mix. Don’t end up like Ross.

You don’t always have to pretend that you’re fine

We all saw how pretending to be ‘fine’ worked out for Ross, which was not very well at all, really. Here is a valuable lesson that pretending to be fine really doesn’t mean that you are, and sometimes letting it all out to someone may just be the best way to try and actually feel fine again.

So there you have it, the list could go on and on but we’ll leave it there. What wisdom has watching Friends brought to you?

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