1. Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

When Mrs. Norbury thinks that the new girl from Africa is the black girl, she is making an assumption based on her apperance. One of the things I learned from Mean Girls is to not judge someone based on how they look. Cady walks up to a group of black kids and says “Jambo,” assuming that they know Swahili just because they are black. When you judge a book by its cover, you embarrass yourself and possibly offend others. It is best to get to know someone before making these kinds of assumptions.

2. Everyone Has Their Own Troubles

Gretchen just wants to be liked, Mrs. Norbury is just trying to pay her bills, and Mrs. George just wanted her daughter’s approval. Everyone has something troubling them, even if they don’t show it. Mean Girls taught me that in order to truly know someone, you have to know their past and their hardships.

3. Apologies Are Important

In the wise words of Cady Heron, “When you get bit by a snake, you have to suck out the poison.” And that is what an apology does. It shows the person that you care and want to mend things. One of the most important things I learned from Mean Girls is that apologies are incredibly important and it is never too late to say you’re sorry.

4. Actions Speak Louder than Words

If you act like a bitch, then you are a bitch. Actions are what matter, not what your intentions are. If you say something bad about someone, it does not matter if you meant to hurt them or not...you still hurt them. Cady did not initially intend to be a Mean Girl, but as she started acting like one, she hurt people along the way. It didn’t matter that she didn't plan on hurting others, she still did.

5. Negative Traits Can Be Used in a Positive Way

Just like Regina used her anger and aggression to excel at sports, you can use your negative traits in a positive way. Focus on your strengths and your weaknesses and use them to the best of your ability. The key to this is to remain optimistic and positive with everything you do. And remember to make the best out of all situations.

6. True Friends Will Care about You

The Plastics were not true friends because they did not care for the well being of each other. They were only concerned with social status and appearances. Janice and Damian, on the other hand, really wanted what was best for Cady. They did not care about what others thought of them, they just wanted to have a strong friendship. And that is what is truly important in a friend.

7. Be Careful What You Say

Just because actions speak louder than words does not mean you can say whatever you want. When guys hear girls calling each other sluts, it just makes it okay for them to call girls sluts. Words can be harmful and when you use them as a weapon, it has a negative effect on everyone involved. You must always be careful with what you say about people and to people.

What are some of the things you learned from Mean Girls? Did you learn the same things I learned? What is your favorite life lesson from Mean Girls?