13 Life Lessons I Learned From Mean Girls
Start writing a post
Entertainment

13 Life Lessons I Learned From Mean Girls

None of them came from the burn book.

3539
13 Life Lessons I Learned From Mean Girls
i.ytimg.com

I probably do not have to inform you that annual "Mean Girls Day" was this past week on October 3, aka the day Aaron Samuels asked Cady what day it is. "Mean Girls" is an iconic coming of age film and has been a classic since its release in 2004. Not only is "Mean Girls" hilarious, there are significant underlining themes behind the story line. So in honor of 13 years of "Mean Girls", here are 13 important life lessons I've learned from this movie.


1. Don't be Ashamed of Your Background and Where You Come From

Cady Heron lived a non-traditional childhood. She didn't go to public school; she was homeschooled in Africa. She knew that made her a little different from everyone else in high school but embraced it anyway. Cady was proud of who she was before joining the plastics, even though she did disrespect the fertility vase of the Ndebele tribe.


2. Slut Shaming Needs to Stop

The word "slut" should be banned altogether. Stigmatizing others based upon their own personal decisions and/or how they choose to present themselves is never okay, and may result in an all-girls school assembly.


3. Intelligence isn't Unattractive

Cady failed her math test on purpose so Aaron Samuels would tutor her. She quickly reaped the repercussions of her actions. She was failing AND lost Aaron's respect after he found out. She eventually realized how ridiculous it was to dumb herself down and even joined mathletes, despite it being social suicide.


4. Don't Give Others Too Much Power Over You

You are you your own person. You can't let other people tell you what to do or how to act. People only have as much power over you as you give them. Nobody has the right to boss you around, even if their dad did invent toaster strudel.


5. Rumors Can Ruin Reputations


Regina George is a pro at making up instances that aren't true and talking behind people's backs. Nobody talked to Janis Ian after the mean lies Regina was saying about her. Ms. Norbury could have lost her job over rumors that she was a drug dealer. These are perfect examples of why you should think twice before saying something that's not true because rumors are so not "grool".


6. You are Invested Wherever You Spend Your Time and Effort

Mentally, emotionally and physically you will be devoted to what you put your energy into, whether intentional or not. Involving yourself in wholesome activities will reflect positively or negatively upon your character. Similarly, hanging out with mean girls all day to ditch your friend's art show and thinking of ways to increase your popularity will eventually cause a shift in your personality.


7. What Comes Around Goes Around

Cady and Janis wanted to sabotage Regina and the plastics; it backfired when their friendship was hurt and everyone in school hated Cady. Regina George was a mean girl and she ended up getting hit by a bus. You see the pattern.


8. Girl on Girl Hate is Detrimental and Counterproductive

Bashing on other girls constantly only creates a hostile environment for everyone. In our society, girls really need to build each other up instead of tearing each other down. Everyone deserves the opportunity to interact with other girls without feeling unwanted or intimidated, even the girl who doesn't even go there.


9. Always Make It Right

Cady caused a lot of damage, but she realized that and she owned up to it. Everyone makes bad decisions sometimes whatever the case may be. Mistakes are often made, and at that point, you have to be honest with yourself and do everything in your power to make amends. How hard should you work to gain someone's trust back? The limit does not exist.


10. Forgive and Forget

After Cady was apologetic for turning her back on her first friends in America, Janis Ian openly forgave her. She noted Cady's sincerity and the fact that there was nothing to stay mad about. In this kind of situation, the best thing you can do is forgive friends, especially aftert calling her out during Ms. Norbury's trust fall activity.


11. You Do You

Throughout the entire movie, Janis and Damien didn't care about what other people thought of them; they definitely did their own thing. Cady, on the other hand, had a different approach. In the end, everyone quit conforming to societal norms and because of that, they basically baked a cake full of rainbows and smiles so they could eat it and be happy.


12. Integrity Will Get You Far

In the beginning of the movie, Cady is coerced into being one of the plastics. In the process, she sacrifices her morals. She later reversed that cycle by demonstrating high levels of integrity. This was what ultimately resolved the major conflict of the plot.


13. Everyone is a QUEEN

Winning spring fling queen is not the most important thing in the world. It is unfair to put one person on a pedestal higher than everyone else. Everybody has their own unique gifts and talents and that is why the crown should be shared, as Cady did. Because everyone matters, even those who don't wear pink on Wednesday's.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

71294
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

133417
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments