20 Things You Can Learn From "Friends"

20 Things You Can Learn From Friends

1. "We were on a break!" aka Don't take breaks

Taking breaks is never healthy in a relationship. Either you work things out, or you break up completely. There is too much uncertainty when you are on a "break." There is a reason one of you want to go on a break, so just let it happen.

2. Don't date someone who cheated on their last significant other to date you.

Barry (Rachel's almost husband) cheated on Rachel with her maid of honor, and then they got engaged. While they were engaged, Barry cheated on her with Rachel. Cheaters will most likely always be cheaters. It's not worth it.

3. It wasn't Smelly Cat's fault.

...

4. Sometimes the person you are supposed to be with has been there the whole time...

You should never count anyone out when it comes to dating-- especially if your reason for not dating them is because "you are too good of friends." Monica meets Chandler through her brother, Ross. One day they realized they liked each other and became one of America's favorite couples. Sometimes you gotta take your friend out of the friend zone, and to the end zone. 

5. Sometimes people mess up, even when they are trying REALLY HARD.

Rachel volunteered to make the Thanksgiving dessert. She wanted to make a traditional English Trifle. Two of the pages got stuck together and she ended up putting beef into the dessert.  In the end, there are the people who love you even when you mess up.

6. Take big risks.

Rachel moved to the city and cut herself off from her dad. Although she started small, she pursued her dream career in fashion. She ended up working for THE Ralph Lauren. Which leads me to my next point...

7.  Get a job in the industry you are interested in, even if it's not your dream job. 

Rachel got her first fashion job working at Bloomingdale's as a personal shopper. Although she had bigger dreams, she ended up taking the job as a personal shopper. Through Networking, she was able to work her way up in the company and then went on to work for Ralph Lauren exclusively, which was definitely a dream come true. 

8. If your baby is crying, try cheering them up by singing "Baby Got Back" or any other cheap rap song. 

Babies are cute, but they aren't cute when they are crying. Turns out, babies really do got back. 

9. Date when you're ready, not when you're lonely. 

Being single SUCKS sometimes, especially when your friends are dating. But, one should never make a rash decision in dating just because you are lonely. Rachel ended up dating a high schooler that stole her clothes just to make Ross jealous. It backfired in the end. 

10.  It's okay to be nervous, but don't make things weird.

Chandler is a businessman, but he often ends up with his foot in his mouth. It's okay to make jokes when things get shaky, but keep things professional. 

11. You aren't going to be good at everything, so find your calling. 

Joey may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but he had a lot of great qualities. He found that he loved acting, and he was actually really good at it. Find what you are good at, and act upon that. 

12. Soulmates aren't a thing, lobsters are.

Phoebe has the theory that finding a mate is like two lobsters that find each other. Pheobe wisely stated: "She's your lobster. C'mon you guys. It's a known fact that lobsters fall in love and mate for life. You can actually see old lobster couples, walking around their tank, you know, holding claws. ... See? He's her lobster!" 

13. You control your happiness. 

Obviously...

14. You determine your destiny. 

In the Pilot episode, Rachel runs out on her wedding and realizes that there is so much more to her life than what people think. Rachel came to terms that people were trying to run her life for her. They had already predetermined her life for her. She came back by saying: "It's like all my life everybody keeps telling that I'm a shoe. You're a shoe, you're a shoe, you're a shoe! But what if I don't want to be a shoe anymore? Maybe I'm a purse, or a hat... I don't want you to buy me a hat, I'm saying I am a hat! It's a metaphor, daddy!"

You can be whatever you want to be, whether it's a purse, shoe, or hat. Do what YOU want. 

15. Don't lie. 

Chandler gets into a relationship with his toxic ex Janis. He doesn't want to break up with her, so he tells her that he is being transferred to Yemen. She goes with him to the airport to see him off, and he actually has to get on the plane. His lie turned out to be an expensive one. 

16. Don't sneak around, it will probably backfire.

Chandler and Monica got together in London on a whim. They didn't want to tell anyone at first, but little by little the rest of the crew found out in different ways. It would have been easier to just tell the truth instead of sneaking around. 

17. Set your values in advance, and don't change them. 

Phoebe fell in love with Mike. They wanted to move in together but were halted when Phoebe found out that Mike didn't want to get married or have a family. Phoebe stuck to her guns, because she knew that she wanted to have a family of her own. Mike realized he loved her enough to get married in the long run, and they lived happily ever after. 

18. No matter how cute something is, don't put yourself through the pain. 

Monica bought her dream pair of boots, but they hurt so bad that she couldn't even wear them. Monica only wore them to prove that it was money well spent. Yes, beauty is pain...but there are other alternatives to looking cute vs. killing yourself to look cute. 

19. Don't be scared of change.

Chandler's job took him to Tulsa, Oklahoma three days a week. Although this upset him, he learned that this was what was best for him at the time. He then learned that he was in wrong job the entire time, and came to terms that change was a good thing. 

20. Your friends will always be there for you...

...even if it hasn't been your day, your month, or even your year.