“Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” If you’ve turned your television on at any point over the last 17 years, chances are you’ve heard the answer to this question: SpongeBob Squarepants! The silly sea sponge has become a household name and a universally recognized character. He and his pals have starred in hundreds of episodes and left our generation with dozens of classics.

It’s really no wonder! The witty and whimsical humor has left us with many the laughs over the years, although it most of the time makes absolutely no sense at all. Which means, of course, it gets a pretty bad rep. Parents and grandparents are prone to shaking their heads when walking through the room as the show is on TV. It’s been the subject of much criticism, people saying it’s a waste of time and that children should be watching something more educational.

However, despite what our elders may say, there’s a lot more to it than just nautical nonsense. Believe it or not, SpongeBob actually has a thing or seven that we might benefit from following! Drop on the deck, flop like a fish, and come find out what you can actually take away from this show.

1.Be Yourself

If there’s one thing that we as humans have a rather difficult time doing, it’s this. We all want to be like someone we’re not. We change ourselves to fit in with what the people around us want us to be like or what would cause them to like us the most. We dress in ways we wouldn’t normally dress, act like we like things we don’t really like, and force ourselves to make some of our favorite things become our most dreaded secret.

SpongeBob, however, couldn’t care less what people think of him. He’s sometimes a complete anomaly in his own society. Despite the strange looks or disapproving remarks of those around him though, he continues to put on his square pants every morning, sing his same loud songs, and be someone he’s proud to be: himself! And he’s a pretty happy guy most of the time, isn’t he?

2.Do What You Love

Although this goes along with my last point, I think it’s significant enough to have its own separate place. Something that comes with us conforming to everyone’s expectations is that we force ourselves into hobbies, pursuits, and sometimes even careers that make us miserable inside. We make believe that we’re happy, but deep inside we know what it is that we really want to do.

SpongeBob loves working at the Krusty Krab. It isn’t too often in our world that someone wakes up each morning eager and excited to go to work. It isn’t very common that someone wishes the work day was longer and was sad to head home. And this is sad. It certainly is strange for an employee to be elated when their work becomes 24 hours. But SpongeBob was. He loves what he does. How often do you see him in a bad mood?

3.Be On Time

If any of my close friends or family are reading this article, this is probably around the point where they are starting to chuckle. I bet they’re probably thinking it’s kind of ironic to be hearing this pointer coming from me. “Tanner is telling us to be on time?” I, along with my mom and brother, are sort of notorious for running late. In fact, when friends give us the time for an event, it isn’t uncommon to hear, “Do you want this in regular time or Keen time?” I know, very funny. However, I tell you this so you know I’m preaching this to myself as well as everyone reading this: You can’t reach your ultimate potential for success if you’re always showing up at the last minute.

SpongeBob knows this very well. In fact, it was revealed once that his On-Time Percentage to work is 100%. He hates running late and knows how much better he is to be at work early. We need to really learn from this one. A big reason is because when we are always running late, that adds unneeded stress and pressure to our already stressful lives. Follow SpongeBob, and hopefully, when I get my license in a couple of weeks, I can make that change for myself, too.

4.Money Isn’t Everything

This one, in a way, is a follow up to point number 2. There are so many people who are miserable in their work just because it pays well. Some of the happiest people in the world don’t make a ton of money but thoroughly enjoying what they do (doing what they love, point two.) Now, this isn’t an invitation for you to just go quit your career and go start a completely new life. But, you can reshape your priorities. Money controls just about everything in our world, and it’s a shame.

How does SpongeBob teach us this? Well, you couldn’t really say that he works at the Krusty Krab because of the money. Mr. Krabs is known for being cheap, and often can be quoted taking things “out of (SpongeBob’s) paycheck.” SpongeBob isn’t controlled by money, and without this burden he is very happy and stress-free.

5.Use Your Imagination

I love imagination. As a musician and writer who is obsessed with musical theater and lives for speech and debate, thinking outside of the box and being a creative, imaginative person is part of me. It's what comes with being involved with the arts. I believe that using your imagination is one of the most important things you can do and is a key to happiness. Being creative and using your head is a key to finding yourself and being happy with who you are.

Consequently, one of my favorite episodes of SpongeBob that I can remember is when SpongeBob and Patrick get inside of a box a TV came in and use their imaginations to come up with games and stories. SpongeBob is a dreamer who uses his imagination all the time.

6.Value Your Friends

If there's one thing SpongeBob loves, it's his friends. In fact, he is one of the best, most loyal, trustworthy friends on the face of the Earth- I mean, under the sea. He never lets his friends down even when it is inconvenient for him. He brightens their day, encourages them, and just makes them smile. On the flip side, he knows he can count on his friends whenever he needs anything and understands how lucky he is to have each one of them.

What would your friendships look like if you valued them like he does? Let me tell you this: You can't get through life on your own, so quit trying. You need your friends all the time. Don't take them for granted and don't ever forget their true worth.

7.Laugh a Lot

It isn't uncommon for Squidward Tentacles to be woken up early on a Saturday morning by the long shrill laughter of SpongeBob Squarepants. SpongeBob is one of the happiest, most joyful characters on television ever, and he expresses this through laughing. All the time. He laughs about things that aren't even all that funny, just because he's such a jolly sponge.

Let's get real: Sometimes, life is unbearably difficult. Sometimes life is so hard we can't stand it. We let stresses and worries control us and we go days, weeks eve, with these burdens weighing on our shoulders. We can go days without cracking a smile. This is the last and maybe most important thing we can learn from SpongeBob. You can't live your life with out laughter. Laughter really is the best medicine. Go find a comedian, put on a funny movie, or just laugh because of the greatness of life. But laugh. And laugh a lot.

As strange as it might sound, we should all be a little more like SpongeBob. He is one of the most happy-go-lucky characters on any show, ever. These traits are more than just life lessons; they’re keys to happiness. They’re practical and logical tips to being happy all the time.

So, next time your grandma scoffs at you while you’re watching the show or a 30-something year old you know tells you your television show choices are too young for you, tell them you’re just… “character building.” But, more than anything, don’t watch this show, or any show for that matter, without trying to take something away from it!