Ten Life Lessons I Learnt From The Game Of Thrones

TV series, ‘Game of Thrones’, has a cult following. With diverse  characters, each having their own story running, the series is intriguing and engaging.

The story also has many interesting life lessons interwoven in it. Here are ten life lessons I learnt from the ‘Game of Thrones’ – some funny, some interesting and some profound.

First impressions are always shallow and often wrong

If you are a regular watcher of the series, by now you would have changed your views about quite a few characters. For example, Jaime – a character, who had once thrown off an eight year old boy from a high tower, is now a changed man. All of the characters are much deeper and have various shades of grey in them. In real life, this probably means that your first impressions should not sway you too much.

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Think twice before betraying a woman who owns actual dragons 

This one seems quite self-evident. Not just dragons, but one must be careful of all those people who keep dangerous pets at home.

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Life isn’t perfect 

Now, have we all not experienced that. Many fantasy tales focus heavily on the ‘happily ever after’, but this is not so with ‘Game of Thrones’. The story is epic, exciting, but most importantly, realistic. Maybe, not the part about the dragons and white walkers, but the story-line— the way events unfold. In real life, you never know what’s going to happen, and this fact is portrayed perfectly in this series. The good guys aren’t guaranteed to win and the bad guys won’t necessarily die a slow and painful death. In fact, in Game of Thrones, the good guys usually end up dead.

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What people think about you doesn’t matter

‘Game of Thrones’ is filled with characters that, for several reasons, are seen as inferior. Tyrion the dwarf, Jon the bastard, Bran the Broken, Davos the Onion Knight, Brienne the Beauty, and the list goes on. Despite the labels stuck to these characters, none of them are held back. They wear their so-called weaknesses as a badge of pride.

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Make every moment count

‘Valar morghulis’ – a saying in the TV series which means ‘all men must die’. Many of us view death as a distant stranger that we’ll likely never know. The series demonstrates that death comes to everyone, from noble lords to innocent children. Each one of us is as vulnerable to death as the next, and eventually, it will come for us all, whether as an accidental misstep on a roof or an overly aged body. It could be tomorrow, or it could be in ninety years, but all men must die, so while alive, make every moment count. Do what you love, spend time with loved ones and be grateful.

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Understand and have compassion towards others 

It’s easy to make snap judgements about people. In the ‘Game of Thrones’, multiple characters make poor decisions on a regular basis, yet we can empathize with them because we know why they did what they did. People at times react in a manner which may seem offensive, but, there is always a reason for it. There are multiple views to every situation in life.

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Culture and upbringing affects an individual’s perception

‘Game of Thrones’ tells a single story through the eyes of many characters. This allows for an exploration of different perspectives, revealing the impact that culture and upbringing can have on a person’s worldview. To us, Eddard Stark is the honourable hero that dies in vain, but to Daenerys Targaryen, he’s the cold warrior that slew her family. There is great wisdom, from considering all point of views and their origins. Expanding your outlook will help you to see the world more objectively and become more understanding of others.

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You can make a difference

‘Game of Thrones’ has no shortage of strong characters, but some of them didn’t start out that way. Daenerys, for example, was once a meek girl, controlled by her overbearing brother. Four seasons later, she’s a queen who has released thousands of slaves from custody and has taken a stance against human slavery. This teaches us never to under estimate ourselves.

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Everyone makes mistakes

The series shows many errors of judgment. After all, to err is human. Don’t be too harsh on yourself. Life is about making mistakes and learning from them.

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And don’t even think about getting married…

This, my friends is shared on a lighter note and no offence to those who are already married. wink wink*

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