This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Clark chapter.
If you’re just as shocked as I am that the first episode of Gossip Girl aired 10 years ago, you’re probably reminiscing on the good, the bad, and the ugly of the lives of our favorite Upper East Siders. Gossip Girl was filled with some pretty wild, and sometimes unrealistic, drama, but there is a lot that we can learn from their mistakes.
- You are in control of your own destiny: If Queen B was known for anything, it was her drive. No other character in the show was as sure as Blair was about herself, and she never settled for anything less than what she deemed herself worthy of. Image: Buzzfeed
- A close-knit group of friends is all you need: Watching this show made me envy such a powerful friend group, but there was much more to their relationships than money and luxury. When one of the characters needed something, the rest of them would drop whatever they were doing to help them, even if it was Dan.
- People change: People can be one thing when you first meet them, only for them to become the complete opposite as they grow up. Take Little J, for example, who was just a sweet and innocent fashion-loving girl when we first met her. By the time she had gotten through her first couple years of high school, Jenny had turned into an irritable and rebellious angst-filled teenager. This might be an extreme case, but lots of people in real life change drastically throughout life as dramatically as Jenny did. It might feel tempting to try to change them, but the only thing you can do is let them go if that’s what they want to do. Image: Fox News
- The past is the past: Serena taught us that no matter what mistakes you might have made you always have the future to look forward to. The most important thing is to understand why they were mistakes and recognize what you need to change within yourself. Another way to look at this is in terms of people who have wronged you. Sometimes the best thing you can do for a friendship or relationship is to accept their apology for what they have done in the past, and move forward.
- Money can’t buy you happiness: Chuck was always the wealthiest of the bunch, but you probably noticed that he was also the most damaged character on the show. With a father who cares more about money than him, and a mother who is allegedly deceased, we can’t really blame him for seeking happiness in drugs and girls. It’s clear from the beginning of the series that these coping mechanisms definitely don’t do the trick. As he grows from a boy to a man, Chuck realizes that money can only buy him distractions and can’t buy him meaningful relationships. He becomes his happiest self when he opens up to Blair and lets her into his life as his girlfriend. Image: Tumblr
- Don’t judge a book by its cover: You never know someone’s story, no matter how perfect their life might appear on the outside. Take Nate for example, whose family life fell apart completely after his father wound up in jail. No one would have known what he was going through by just looking at him, and the same goes for people in real life. Just because someone dresses well, has a nice car or seems happy all the time doesn’t necessarily mean that they live a lavish lifestyle, or even a happy one. A lot of people keep the bad things hidden, so it’s important to stay mindful and not just assume you know everything about someone based on what you see or what you’ve heard.
Image: The Ashcan
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Gossip Girl