"The Office" has been a massive hit across U.S. since it was first aired due to its lovable characters, clever humor and interesting plot. The show has given me hearty guffaws, sad moments and interesting thoughts to ponder over. However, the show also taught viewers life lessons. Here are the top five lessons "The Office" taught me.
1. The most patience are the rewarded greatly.
Throughout the show, the characters are constantly put into positions in which they are given two choices: either give up and take an easy way out, or they could stick it out, grind through their situation and reach their goal.
For example, Jim could have given up when the woman he loved, Pam, was engaged to another man. However, he stuck with her and continued to chase after her, despite being rejected many times. In the end, he eventually won her love, and they ended up getting married (a perfect happy ending)!
Then there's the story of Dwight, the lovable nerd at the office. He spent many years vying for the Regional Manager position, despite having suffered competition from his arch-enemy Jim, an overzealous trust fund baby Andy and even a random British woman who walks into the office and claims the position. He could have left to another company and easily reached a high position there. Instead, he stuck with the hard road and continued to serve as Assistant Regional Manager. Eventually, he achieves his goal and is promoted to Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin. The long struggles (and the eventual victories that occurred after) gives viewers hope that perseverance and dedication always prevail.
2. Sometimes, laughter is the best medicine!
Throughout the series, the plot thrives on serious events infused with clever comments and hilarious reactions. It goes to show that sometimes, lightening up the mood can pay off. With Michael Scott as manager, employees work less and are played far more often. And despite all the shenanigans that happen there, the Scranton branch still survives. We all saw how entertaining the Scranton branch was, and can learn from the whimsical approach it took to the workplace. A bit of humor and laughter can go long ways when working with other people.
3. Life can be unfair at times.
Many characters in the show can be thought of as underappreciated in many ways. The biggest example of this is Dwight Schrute. He loyally serves Michael Scott for many years and is constantly one of the best salesmen at Dunder Mifflin. But he is constantly mistreated by his co-workers. Michael Scott brutally ignores him at times, Jim and Pam are constantly planning pranks on him and the other office employees are generally annoyed with him. Despite that, Dwight continues doing his job as a faithful Assistant Regional Manager. He is rewarded near the end of the show when he finally becomes the manager and marries the woman he loves, Angela. It shows viewers that at times when life is tough, just grind through and eventually you will reach your goal.
4. When times are rough, true friends are revealed.
In life, there are two types of friends: those who befriend others for their own benefit and those that befriend others to help others as well as themselves.
"The Office" shows both sides of the spectrum in unique ways and displays that when life gets rough, only the real friends stay and help you through your struggle. For example, when Pam was crying because Karen and Jim were happy with each other, Dwight finds her and starts to comfort her. Dwight had publicly displayed his dislike for Jim and Pam, but deep inside, he feels friendship towards them. Also, when Pam had her painting at the art show, she invited all the employees of the office to come and see her art. However, only two people came from the office: Oscar and Michael. Oscar publicly insulted her artwork, making her feel terrible. However, Michael Scott, the racist, insensitive manager, praises her artwork and hangs it up in the workplace. That small gesture meant the world to Pam. From that moment on, she knew that, despite all the things that Michael had done, he was a good person at heart.
5. It's the simple, ordinary things that matter in life.
"The Office" is a mockumentary about, well, what it sounds like: a regular workplace in a sleepy town in Pennsylvania. On paper, it sounds boring and unspectacular, but "The Office" is anything but that. Through that "ordinary workplace," a wide range of emotions and ideas are expressed to the audience, from love to happiness, to sorrow and pain. But overall, the main message of the show is that there is beauty in the ordinary aspects of life.
To quote Pam, "There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn't that kind of the point?"
