"The Lion King" is the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated feature of all time with a total box office of over $987 million; it is also the third highest-grossing animated feature in general. Disney released "The Lion King" in 1994, at the time I was less than a year old, it would be years later, I would see the movie from the comfort of my home on VHS.
When I first watched it I was hooked, I don’t exaggerate when I say that watched that movie almost every day. This had much to do with the excellent storyline, well-developed characters, and moving music score. Moreover, this movie was phenomenally accurate in its depiction of African ecology, geography, language (the characters had Swahili names), and animal life.
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The story is centered around a of pride lions: King Mufasa, Queen Sarabi and their newborn son, Simba. Mufasa and his wife righteously rule over the Pride Lands, showing respect for their environment and ensuring that everyone’s needs are provided for in what Mufasa calls the circle of life. Scar is Mufasa younger power hungry brother who is next in line to be king but the birth of Simba stops it from happening and now plots a coup d’état. It’s a story that gives many lessons that you can apply to your everyday life
1. "Hakuna Matata" is a terrible philosophy to live by.
"Hakuna Matata," which in Swahili means, “No worries,” is taught to Simba after he runs away because he thinks he got his father killed and stumbles into two carefree individuals, Timon and Pumba, and they have no responsibility in life whatsoever. Simba being young, impressionable and disconnected from the knowledge of who he is, and estranged from his culture forgets where he comes from. Essentially this motto goes against all Mufasa taught Simba about being a leader and a king, Mufasa comes back in a vision to tell him to embrace who he is. A healthy amount of stress allows us to be productive and efficient.
2. True friends don’t let their friends be irresponsible.
If someone is meant to be in your life, you shouldn't have to fight to make them stay. People come and go, but true friends will stick by your side no matter what. They forgive you for your mistakes and accept your flaws.
3. Not everyone is worthy of your trust.
Mufasa, king of the Pride Lands, has the great responsibility of regulating his kingdom, but that power also brings envy. That envy is embodied in the character Scar, who went go to great lengths to sit on the throne. Scar uses deceit and trickery to facilitate his brother Mufasa’s death (even making it seem like an accident); tricks a young Simba into accepting that it was his fault, and he leaves. With both Mufasa and Simba gone there is no opposition to stop Scar from taking the throne.
4. You can't force maturity.
In "Lion King," a young Simba was the prince of the Pride Lands thusly, making him overly ambitious at an early age where it would cause him to be hot headed and careless even going to the elephant graveyard where Mufasa told him not to go. This is how he tried to show his father he was ready to become King (he even had a whole song about being ready to be King). As time goes on, he matures more and is more cool-headed and rational.
5. You learn the importance of growing from your experiences.
Simba went through a lot of traumatic situations from losing his father, to losing who he was but he learned that you can't run from who are when so many others are depending on you to help them. Accept responsibility and use them as building blocks to personal growth.
