4 Lessons You Learn From Fleabag That You Learn Nowhere Else

A masterpiece of a TV show, Fleabag was beautifully written, and the character equally brilliantly performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. It discussed topics such as bouncing back from trauma, dealing with grief and guilt, and loving the ones around you even if you feel too bitter to love.

The show was an instant hit among viewers worldwide and received around half a dozen Emmys as well. Following the life of a young Londoner and her many struggles and grievances, her one-liners and “eye-contact” with the audience (i.e. us, watching her from behind the screen), was too new and unique to be unamused of.

There were a few life lessons that we all learned as we grew fond of the characters of the show which was only 12 episodes long. Read about how Fleabag made us laugh, and also made us wiser with these 4 important lessons:

—Spoilers Ahead!—

1. Grieve the way you want to

If there is one thing that Fleabag has taught us, it is how one grieves at their own pace, and in their own way. Although for many of us it was unusual how the character dealt with the death of her mother and her best friend, that is exactly what we need to learn from, that we cannot dictate people how they should be grieving the death of their loved ones, because everyone has a unique way of handling things, and that is ok.

2. Family – either real or chosen – always comes first

It is necessary for a person to have a strong social network in order to keep them grounded. Even after having a rollercoaster of a relationship with her family, Fleabag showed us that family matters more than anything else. That is either because of the support you get from each other or just because it is easier to bond with the ones closest to you, even if you might have a rocky relationship sometimes.

3. Give. And give and give.

Fleabag’s character development from a selfish manipulator to someone who helped her sister (hint: Season 2, Episode 1) at the cost of her own embarrassment is swoon-worthy. Being an altruist in nature is a lot difficult than what self-help books and TED Talks make it sound like, because we are all human after all, and we all have a whole universe of needs and desires that keep us from focusing on anything other than ourselves. But the show got that covered as well. We can’t be good all the time, but helping others over ourselves can really do wonders in humbling us.

4. Things are not as serious as they might feel sometimes

A little humor and a bit more optimism can really bring a huge difference in one’s life, just as it did in Fleabag’s. Her dark humor during the most serious situations was intriguing, and a huge lesson to be learned. No matter how miserable she feels, she always has her sense of humor by her side (though it is something else entirely to use self-deprecating humor to deflect any kind of criticism or growth, a BIG no). This makes us believe that we don’t necessarily have to let every situation get us down. Dealing with difficulties head-on and having a generally good outlook for everything can really get us places!

It really is surprising how far screenwriting has come, and how a TV show can make us feel seen and heard through its characters who are full of flaws. Even if we aren’t getting a Fleabag season 3, here’s to hoping that Phoebe Waller-Bridge makes us fall in love with more such characters through her sensational writing!