Seriously, fumbling your way through relationships is no easy feat. When you’re trying to figure out who you are as a person and what you want to achieve, balancing that with someone else’s dreams and ambitions can start to feel like a circus act. There are some major relationship faux-pas, and sometimes you have to learn the hard way”unless of course, you grew up watching Friends, in which case you’ve already learned about those faux-pas with the guidance of a laugh track. Although it might not be practical to base all of your life lessons off of a TV series, Friends taught us some valuable relationship lessons (unless you’re on a break, in which case, good luck) we shouldn’t take for granted.
Rachel and Tag: make sure you’re both on the same page
Rachel and Tag arguably made one of the most adorable couples on the show. So in The One Where They All Turn Thirty when they end up breaking up, it’s like seeing a puppy being kicked to the curb. But that’s the issue at stake”Tag is the puppy in the sense that he’s young and carefree (and absolutely adorable), and Rachel needed someone more stable, who she could see herself settling down with. If you’re not on the same page and upfront about what you want, neither of you will be happy”and what’s the point in that?
Monica and Chandler’s Halloween costumes: plan in advance
In The One With The Halloween Party, Monica dresses up as Catwoman and gets Chandler to wear the big pink bunny costume. To avoid embarrassment on a colossal scale like Chandler’s, make sure you plan your couples costumes early to snag the best ones. Or better yet, make them yourself”Tetris pieces, anyone?
Joey and Chandler: don’t hook up with your friend’s ex before talking to them about it first
In the aptly named The One Where Chandler Crosses The Line, Chandler kisses Joey’s girlfriend Kathy. If you have feelings for a friend’s ex (or in this case, someone that your friend is casually seeing), it’s definitely best to respect your friendship and hash it out with your bestie first. Assuming everything will be cool is more than likely to blow up in your face, and you run the risk of seriously damaging, if not ending, a friendship that’s important to you.
Phoebe and Gary: make sure you really know who you’re moving in with
In The One With The Ball, a hesitant Phoebe moves in with her new boyfriend Gary. Since they hadn’t been dating for too long, Phoebe is absolutely horrified to find out that Gary would shoot a squaking bird outside of their bedroom window. New relationships can be so exciting, that you’re caught up in the moment and tend to overlook any qualities in your significant other that may put you off. Moving in is a big step, so proceed with caution to be absolutely sure.
Ross being “fiiiine” with Rachel and Joey dating: make sure you’re comfortable being with your ex before hanging out with them and their significant other.
In the infamous fajitas episode, The One Where Ross is Fine, Ross invites Joey and Rachel over for dinner, but gets super drunk (and consequently burns his hands on the fajitas¦). The entire situation, though hilarious, screams uncomfortable. Seeing your ex with someone new is never easy, especially if your breakup was recent. To save yourself from a potentially crappy situation, if you know your ex is going to be somewhere with a significant other and know it will upset you, bring a friend along for moral support who can cheer you up and will be supportive.
Monica and Richard: sometimes someone is great on paper, but the relationship still doesn’t work out and that’s ok.
Richard is like a knight in shining armour for Monica”he’s older, he’s well established, he’s handsome, what’s not to love? Just because he is all of these wonderful things, he’s not the right person for Monica. This can turn into a classic what is wrong with me!? cry real fast, when you feel like there is something wrong with you when you just aren’t feeling a vibe between you and a perfect guy. The truth is, no matter how perfect someone is on paper, if you’re not feeling it, it’s not the right match.
Phoebe and Mike: take the chance and go on a blind date”you never know what could happen.
In The One With the Paediatrician, Mike and Phoebe meet on a blind date. While the original plan was for Joey to set Phoebe up with a friend, he forgets and finds a random at a coffee shop. While most blind dates don’t work this way (except for Tinder, if you think about it), when one of your friends sets you up on a blind date they have your best interests at heart, so give it a go! Your friends know you well, and may see a great potential connection that you wouldn’t have considered. In the age of Internet dating, wouldn’t you rather be set up by a friend than an algorithm?
