Five Lessons Taught By "How I Met Your Mother"

“How I Met Your Mother” is undoubtedly one of the most discussed television shows. Whether it is about Barney’s one-liners, memorable stories that the gang told or the extremely debated ending, HIMYM definitely struck a chord to an innumerable amount of people.

Although the show’s ending sparked a plethora of opinions both in favor and against the conclusion, one of the most important aspects (to some, the most important) of HIMYM are the moments the writers presented to their audience along the way. During the finale, the Mosby children said that this long-winded, drawn out story from their father was never about their mother. And I think this line perfectly sums up HIMYM.

So, with that being said, here are five lessons that HIMYM taught its viewers:

1. If you cannot stop thinking about something, never leave it unfinished:
   Maybe it’s a dream, a person, an idea or a story. For protagonist Ted Mosby, it was architecture. During the show’s sixth season, Barney tried to persuade Ted into designing a headquarters for his company. Up until the last few moments of the episode, Ted left his dream of being an acclaimed architect unfinished. However, in the middle of lecturing his architecture class about an architect’s uncompleted building, Ted rushes over to Barney to accept the offer of designing a building in the New York skyline. His exact words are, “Most of the time it’s just too difficult, too expensive, too scary. It’s only once you’ve stopped that you realize how hard it is to start again, so you force yourself not to want it. But it’s always there. And until you finish it, it will always be… Unfinished.” Ted Mosby taught the HIMYM audience that whether something consistently flows through your thoughts or even simply rests stagnantly in the back of your mind, it should never be left unfinished, no matter how scary.
2. It’s not always about the end product:
   As stated earlier, the show’s finale sparked a plethora of heated debates throughout the HIMYM fan base. However, if I had to make a wild prediction about what the show’s writers wanted to get across, it would be the fact that the end product is not always the most important thing in life. To Ted’s fictional kids, the show is an elongated string of words made up of tangents and stories within stories. To some audience members, however, the importance of the series lies within the moments in between the show’s pilot and finale. With that being said, sometimes what we experience, think, do or feel on the way to whatever end-goal we are trying to accomplish speaks more volumes than the actual ending.
3. Sometimes there can be more than one “the one:”
   The fact of the matter is that we meet countless people throughout our lives. Perhaps for some the only connotation attached to “the one” is someone you spend the rest of your days with. Maybe for others the idea of “the one” is more flexible. HIMYM reminded all of us that many people will come into our lives and tug on our heartstrings in one way or another. And yes, SPOILER ALERT, the mother dies. However, just because she ceases to exist, it does not mean she was never “the one.” And, as Ted showed us during the show’s last few minutes, when someone who had your heart dies, this does not mean there can never be another “the one.” Although many individuals are lucky enough to meet someone one day and never have to look again, the truth is we lose people for many reasons. Maybe to some this is a calloused perspective, however, there is something comforting in how realistically the HIMYM writers approached such a tender subject. At the end of the day, many people will make us love and think twice, and I believe HIMYM articulated this in an effective, meaningful manner.
4. Often times, there are exceptions to rules:
   To the HIMYM gang, the rule “nothing good ever happens after 2 A.M.” is scattered throughout the series. However, when Ted’s son is born after 2 A.M., everyone learns that some rules are flexible. HIMYM taught us that sometimes that which is set in stone is not always set in stone after all. HIMYM showed their viewers that just because an instance is an outlier to a specific rule, it does not make it any less extraordinary. From my perspective, this particular lesson not only shows us the greatness that lies within certain anomalies, but it also taught us that sometimes great things can happen out of our comfort zones.
5. Wait for it:
   To me, Barney’s famous catchphrase is more than just words sandwiched between the syllables of “legendary.” Of course, there is something to be said about the exhilaration of spontaneity and acting on impulse. However, if Ted can wait years on years for the mother of his children to enter his life, perhaps we can learn to be patient, too. Maybe this means being meticulous with our longterm goals, refusing to settle for less even when the waiting gets difficult or being patient with those around us. Although I am a firm believer of being a force to reckon with by going out and getting the things you want, sometimes it’s okay to take a couple steps back and wait for it.

Of course, movies and television shows are not real life. However, if a fictional storyline has the capability of instilling thoughts, inspiration, impulses, motivation or encouragement within its audience, then it doesn’t matter if it reflects reality or not. And, in my opinion, HIMYM is the epitome of this.

Source:
How I Met Your Mother Wiki. (2008, May 30). Retrieved August 30, 2014.