You might think that cartoons are purely for entertainment value. While they are certainly fun to watch, cartoons can actually teach you something too.
You might be surprised that all of your favorite animated characters have something to teach you. Who knew that simply watching television could make your life better? Read on for all the lessons you need to get through life from your favorite cartoons.
1. Stranger Danger
Your parents probably taught you to be cautious around people you don’t know. Take a lesson from Scooby-Doo and his pack of mystery-solving friends and remain wary of strangers. Why? Because you could wind up the victim of an unsavory character. In addition, sometimes a person you have just met might seem nice and trustworthy on the outside, but who is actually only out to harm or otherwise swindle you. It’s perfectly fine to get to know a stranger in a safe place surrounded by people, but be careful when you get close to someone new. This way you can foster new relationships without putting yourself in harm’s way.
2. You Don’t Need All The Gadgets
It’s very easy to get sucked up into the idea that you need all the latest and greatest things to make your life worthwhile. That’s simply not true according to the Roadrunner from the famous coyote cartoons. In fact, if you watch Wile E. Coyote, you will see that accumulating things usually doesn’t end well. In fact, you’ll be no happier in the long run than you were before you bought the new television or smartphone. Once you get used to having it, you’ll simply want something else to fulfill your needs.
3. Treat Others Kindly
You probably don’t need cartoons to learn this lesson, but it can’t hurt to have your favorite characters remind you of it. Watch Sigmund and the Sea Monsters to learn everything you need to be nice to those around you. Sigmund has it right when he doesn’t want to abuse people (or creatures) that are different than he is. Despite taking his own abuse for this attitude, Sigmund can teach us a thing or two about treating others the way you want to be treated.
4. Knowing Is Important
At the end of each G.I. Joe episode, there was a short public service announcement giving kids some information that they needed. The idea was that knowing is half the battle. The lessons were about things like public safety and respect for others. You can take that lesson and use it in all aspects of your life. There is never anything wrong with learning something new, and knowing those things sometimes turns out to be just what you need. You never know when new information might surprisingly come in handy and save the day.
5. Learn Some Morals
You might wonder what a cartoon entitled “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,” could possibly teach you. However, the cartoon can teach all sorts of morals that you can apply to your life. Not only that, but the cartoon was entertaining and funny, which you may expect coming from the mind of Bill Cosby. Too bad he didn’t learn a little more about morality in his own life.
6. Women Can Do What Men Can Do
This idea is more mainstream these days, but in some cases, women are still discriminated against in terms of their equality with men. A cartoon called “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl” showed girls all over the place that they could do whatever they wanted. These two women superheroes fought crime on television just like any man and looked good while doing it. This cartoon taught girls a valuable lesson about their place in society, but also showed men that women are strong and capable.
7. Elders Deserve Respect
The bottom line is that everyone deserves respect, but if you ever watch the Smurfs, you’ll see that it’s especially important to respect your elders. The reason for this is that people who are older than you are more experienced and have a lot to offer. Many people write off the elderly, but if you take the time to talk to older people and get to know them, you will learn something that may just change your life. Older people may have slowed down a bit, but they have a lot of valuable insight that you can benefit from. Thank you, Papa Smurf!
8. Talking Is Overrated
Ever notice how the Pink Panther doesn’t say much during his cartoons? Without uttering a word, he gets things done and earns the respect and trust of those around him. Despite all the things that life threw his way, he always managed to stay composed and confident. This can be a great lesson for soft-spoken and introverted people. You can still achieve great things even if you can’t face speaking to a crowd. This is also a fantastic lesson to share with young kids who struggle with shyness.
9. Always Help Others
Who better but Dudley Do-Right to teach everyone a lesson in doing kind things for others? This cartoon character was a small part of the “Rocky and Bullwinkle Show”, and his short skits always involved doing the right thing and helping others. The lesson here is that doing good is usually the better choice, and that being kind and helpful to others will always put the bad guy in his place. So whether it’s a big or small thing, you can usually assume that helping someone else is always the way to go.
10. Teamwork Is Important
If you ever watched “Superman and His Super Friends,” you know that working together will usually get you the end result you want. Even if you aren’t teaming up to fight crime and take down the bad guys, you can work together in anything and achieve great results. This goes for work and play. Learning how to work as a team is one of the most valuable skills you can learn in life. Anytime you need a reminder on how to get it done, just consult Superman and his loyal team of crime fighters and you’ll be ready to make teamwork your top priority.
If you notice, these cartoons are all older, which proves that kids today may not be gaining access to the same beneficial programs that adults did in their own generation. Cartoons today tend to be more obnoxious than educational, and children are being done a disservice by not being able to watch these old cartoons that have a lesson to learn in each episode. They can often be found on YouTube or at the public library for people who want to share them with their kids. You never know – they might give you a little reminder of something you need to work on.
Photo Credit: iceman1199.deviantart.com/favourites/57422677/scooby-doo
