Life is quite legen—wait for it—dary when you’re a 20-something. It’s the only time in your life when you can balance working hard and playing hard before more serious responsibilities come along (cough *kids* cough). And what TV show perfectly portrays this period of life? How I Met Your Mother. Seriously, if you’re reading this article and you haven’t seen the show, I highly recommend going to Netflix to watch it, like, now. While the show is a comedy, it very realistically portrays common relationships problems, career dilemmas and many other issues related to growing up. Here are just a few of the lessons we have learned through the often-hilarious adventures of Barney, Marshall, Ted, Lily and (my personal favorite) Robin.
1. Nothing good ever happens after 2 a.m. Sure you might think calling/texting/Facebook-stalking at 2:15 a.m. is a good idea, but you will regret it tomorrow.
2. In every relationship, there is always a reacher and a settler. This is actually a little sad considering Marshall and Lily are just so perfect for each other, but this lesson can instead be used as a reminder not to waste your time dating someone who, frankly, isn’t good enough for you.
3. When you feel like calling an ex, call a buddy instead. Remember this whenever you’re going through a breakup.
4. The only thing that can really mend a broken heart is time. Ted was never going to get over Robin until he had spent some time away from her. And to build on that, you can not remain friends with an ex immediately after you break up.
5. If you can’t spot the crazy person on the bus, it’s you.
6. When you don’t meet on many fundamental levels, it’s just a matter of time before you realize you aren’t meant to be together. Ted and Robin couldn’t make it work because of their opposing views on getting married and having kids (Ted wanted ‘em, Robin didn’t). If you want to have a future with someone, you have to be able to talk about what you want that future to be.
7. At some point in your 20s, you will be or will have someone on the hook. Either way, it sucks for all parties involved.
8. Never invite an ex to your wedding. Ever.
9. Your tastes change over the years. Whether it’s your sense of style, your alcoholic beverage of choice or what traits you look for in a partner, you never know how future-you will be different from present-day-you.
10. The Oh moment – that moment when you find out one detail about a person that is going to be a dealbreaker. It could be religion, political views, desire to have kids, or that they don’t like cheese (hey, we each have our thing.).
11. You always need a “Get Psyched” playlist.
12. The closer you live to the bar is directly correlated to the likelihood of getting someone to go home with you.
13. There is a Mendoza Diagonal of dating, also known as the “Hot/Crazy Scale.” According to this Barney gem, this “scientific” scale declares a woman un-dateable if her level of crazy outranks her level of attractiveness.
14. The olive theory. This theory says that the potential success of a relationship is determined by whether one person in the relationship loves olives (Lily) while the other person hates them (Marshall). However, in this particular episode of HIMYM, it’s revealed that Marshall does love olives. But he has always said he doesn’t like olives. Why the lie? Because he loves Lily and she loves olives, so he always gives his olives to her.
15. Always suit up.
16. Never, ever, ever ‘love’ thy neighbor. Also known as the Platinum Rule, Barney explains that one should never date someone they see on regular basis (i.e. someone at work, a next door neighbor or your favorite bartender). His reasoning is that when these relationships end, you will constantly continue to see said person.
17. When you catch up with an old friend or an ex, there will be a clear winner and a clear loser. It’s awesome when you win.
18. Buying a bar almost sounds like a good idea.
19. The Front Porch Test is genius and a great way to think about your future with your best friends and your special someone.
20. The “three days rule” is overplayed. Sure, Barney and Marshall try to teach Ted a lesson when he doesn’t wait three days before calling a girl he just met. But as Ted later states in his voice-over, he also didn’t wait three days to call when he got the “Mother’s” phone number.
21. When it comes to love, you’re not looking for someone who simply accepts your quirks. You want someone who loves them and cherishes them. So whether you love cats or you tend to make bad puns, your soul mate will love that about you.
22. “You can’t design your life like a building. You just have to live it, and it will design itself.” This direct quote from Lily is inspiring in that as much as you try to plan what your life will be like, the unexpected moments, twists and turns are really what end up making life so exciting.
23. Don’t look for love. If anything, that’s the main lesson we’ve learned from HIMYM. Because if you do search for love, you may never find it. When you stop searching, that’s when it finds you.
What lessons have you learned from How I Met Your Mother? Tune into the show’s season premiere on Monday, September 24th!
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Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.com
