1. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
This cliche phrase is an overlaying theme throughout the show. Who would have ever expected the owner of a fried chicken chain to run a massive drug empire? Not me. This lesson also goes for Jesse Pinkman. Although, at first glance, he is one of the most bada** guys out there, he also has such a kind heart. One of the moments throughout the series that melted my heart the most was when Jesse rescued a kid from his meth-crazed parents’ house in Season 2 and called the police to pick the kid up even during a stressful time.
2. Be careful what you wish for.
Walter’s greatest desire is always to provide for his family. He always has the best of intentions in mind and would stop at nothing to make life comfortable for others. While he successfully makes more money than he ever dreamed of, and is able to more-than-sufficiently provide for his family, he loses much of their trust and respect in the process.
3. Life is unpredictable.
Everyone’s heard the phrase, “expect the unexpected,” and it couldn’t be more true. Breaking Bad teaches us that while everything may seem unchanging in our lives today, no one knows what tomorrow brings. Walter’s cancer diagnosis, for example, came at a time when he least expected it. We must always be prepared for all that life throws at us, and do our best to roll with the punches.
4. Different skill sets are necessary for any business to work.
Everyone has different talents, and that’s what makes businesses able to operate. Just because you’re not a scientific genius, doesn’t mean you’re useless. Jesse and Walter’s operation would not have been nearly as successful without Jesse’s people skills and social connections. Variety makes the world go ‘round.
5. Think outside the box.
Sometimes in life (and, for Jesse and Walter, in the lab) things don’t go according to plan. When Walter and Jesse lost their Sudafed connection, they got creative and ended up making their product even better and more unique than before. Sometimes mistakes and mishaps lead to new perspectives. Next time something goes wrong, think of it as an opportunity to try something new. If things still don’t work out, call Saul Goodman.
6. It’s a small world.
Would you ever expect that slacker in your high school chemistry class to end up working with your teacher later in life? Well, that happened in Breaking Bad. What if you found out that the teacher’s brother-in-law had a job that required him to stop the business the teacher and student had built? That happened too. You never know who you may run into later in life, who you might need a favor from, or who might turn on you. All the more reason to treat everyone with respect and burn no bridges.
7. Whatever you do in life, do your best at it.
Even when Walter was a simple chemistry teacher, and stood in front of a room of disinterested students every day, he always worked consistently hard. When he built his business with Jesse, he tried again and again until their product was as pure as possible. The words “good enough” were never in Walter’s vocabulary. Walter’s whole-heartedness teaches us to put our maximum effort into all that we do.
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