Like most fans of "Doctor Who," I haven't just seen a few episodes; I've seen all of them. My mother worshiped Tom Baker like he was a god, so "Doctor Who" was a huge part of my childhood. I never really realized, until I grew older, how much it shaped me as a person. Despite being a great show with a cult following and intricate science-fiction plots, each episode is its own sort of fable. These are 10 life lessons that everyone should learn, even if you've never seen a single episode. (This list is a lot cooler if you listen to "I Am The Doctor" while reading it.)
10. The power of being well dressed.
I learned to never show up under-dressed. You never know when something you're wearing can spark up a conversation and cause you to meet someone new.
9. The sheer power of knowledge.
“This room’s the greatest arsenal we could have.”
I learned there is no problem in the entire universe that cannot be solved by being clever. No matter how dark the library may seem (vashta nerada joke — get it, guys?), you can always find the light by being brilliant.
8. Sometimes, unrecognized people deserve the most glory.
If you say you didn't cry at this scene, you're a liar. The best thing about "Doctor Who" is every person is important. Even the characters who only get a few lines, the Doctor always treats them like they're the most important people in the universe.
7. No one likes endings, but every ending is just a new beginning.
For anyone who has never seen the show, the concept of regeneration is slightly odd. The Doctor never dies; he just regenerates and gets a new face. Every ending is just a regeneration and a new chance for you to become a new person.
6. The best part of any journey is the companions you travel with.
5. Time can be rewritten, but some memories are worth keeping forever.
Whether or not you are a pro or anti River Song Whovian, you probably cried at this scene, too. Some points in time are fixed; some points are in flux. You can change those that are in flux, but sometimes you just have to stand there and watch the points that are fixed. Realize that, sometimes, you can't change the past, but it doesn't mean you should forget it either.
4. Always follow the madmen in blue boxes because you never know where you'll end up.
3. Every single soul in the whole universe is important.
So be kind to everyone you meet. Treat everyone you meet with the utmost respect. No matter how insignificant a person may seem to you, they can mean the world to someone else. You never know when that person you were rude to once can save the universe from the cybermen.
2. Believe in the people you love above anything else.
If you didn't kick the air screaming in excitement at this scene, I don't know if you're a true Whovian. Believe in the ones you love above everything else because, in the end, they're the ones who save you from a mythological devil creature in the center of an ancient planet.
1. Never. Stop. Running.
There is always a new adventure out there. There is always a new planet to save. There will always be a new companion to find, and there will always be new memories to make. So never stop running. Never stop chasing your dreams. Never stop to slow down, not even for a minute. Don't blink. Don't even blink. Because if you do, your entire life can pass you by. So keep running, and don't ever stop. Run. And don't forget the lessons you've learned along the way.
