If you’re into independent dramedies, you’ve definitely watched HBO’s Girls. It’s hard not to fall in love with a show that has so much raw emotion, great jokes and Lena Dunham as the main character.
The show follows Hannah, Shoshanna, Marney and Jessa as they navigate the years together just after college. Each one of them brings their own spice to life and unique character attributes, but the way they portray life as a twenty-something is so relatable that it’s almost criminal. These are just a few of the love and life lessons I’ve learned from the show.
1. Friendship isn’t always beautiful
Each of the girls has a hard time maintaining their friendships with one another. Hannah feels abandoned by her friends, even if she can be incredibly needy, and they all fight with each other like it’s a necessity for the friendship. This goes to show that, just like any other type of relationship, friendships take work, compassion and a little bit of forgiveness.
2. Trust is hard to come by
The girls of Girls aren’t exactly the most trustworthy crowd. Marney dates Shosh’s ex, Jessa and Adam get together behind Hannah’s back and even Hannah tries to get with Shosh’s ex when he picks her up after she’s left stranded outside of the city.
They all break girl code, on more than one occasion, which just goes to show that trust and loyalty aren’t really anyone’s strong suit. We’re all just trying to make it through life doing good by those we love, and every once in a while, we fail.
3. Love isn’t a romantic comedy
Not one of the relationships in the show seems functional, and although I absolutely love Hannah and Adam, even when they were together, it was still a slow start with a less than romantic vibe.
Sure, some cute things were said during the course of all the relationships, but not one was portrayed as if it was straight out of love story.
This is perfect because it mimics real life to a T when it comes to how people get together, stay together and break up. It’s not beautiful; it’s not tidy; it’s just love.
4. Even if life is great, things can still suck
When Hannah gets a job as a teacher and starts dating Fran, it’s as if her life—for the first time in the show—is finally coming together in a stable way. The problem is that she still isn’t all that happy.
The relationship and the job are both unfulfilling in a way that Hannah isn’t even sure of until late in season 5, and it just goes to show that even if things are seemingly great, you can still be uncertain and unhappy about the path you’re on. It’s important to remember that happiness doesn’t just come; it’s something that must be fed to be achieved.
5. Your twenties are for finding yourself
The girls of Girls are all busy finding themselves, and hurt others and themselves in the process. This is so relatable because almost everyone who has been through their twenties knows that that’s exactly what those years are for. You won’t know who you are until you’ve had the chance to live independently for a little while, and Hannah and the gang portray that beautifully.
6. Nobody really knows what they’re doing
The beauty about the show, and the fact that almost nobody in it knows what they’re doing for very long, is that it shows viewers like myself that you won’t have everything together in your twenties, and that’s okay.
Your twenties are a time when you can find your passion, change your mind, find it again and continue on whatever path you want at the time. You have the luxury of being young and reckless while getting wiser and actually learning from all those life mistakes, leading you closer to your true you.
7. Now is the only time to do things
There’s no point in waiting around for things to happen. You have to go out and make them happen instead of feeding your own fear of why it won’t work or what’s pitted against you in your venture.
When Ray wants to open his own coffee shop or when Shosh wants to work in Tokyo, they both have reservations, but they just do it. It’s important to take the time to try and fail in life so that you can get that much closer to your bright future.
8. Be true to yourself
Even if it doesn’t seem to work out, it’s best to stay true to yourself and you will succeed. Hannah spends a lot of the first few seasons trying to write and eventually gives it up for a little while because of setbacks. When this happens, things go awry; near the end of season 5, she finally gets back to it and is the happiest we’ve ever seen her.
This is a good lesson that no matter what happens, persevering for what you want is one of the most important things you can do. Staying true to yourself and your passions is important in becoming happy, even if it doesn’t make you as successful as you once thought it would.
9. Running away from your problems doesn’t work
All of the girls tend to avoid their issues, which always have a way of catching up with them. This lesson is important to learn because, in real life, when you run away from your problems, it works the same way. Issues rarely dissolve themselves so when dealing with them, it’s best to do so head on.
There are so many more lessons Girls can teach us, but these are the few that stick out in the best way possible. What lessons did the girls of Girls teach you?
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