Rick & Morty is quite possibly one of the most underrated and introspective shows on television right now. Each episode is filled with life lessons, cleverly disguised as raunchy humor. If you have never seen an episode, don’t click exit just yet, no prior knowledge of the show is needed for the lessons it teaches to really hit home. For this article I have decided to divide the path we take when growing into three intimately connected categories: growth, purpose, and the grand scheme of things (although, clearly, life is too complex to be condensed into just three categories.) So without further ado, here is Rick & Morty’s Guide to Growing Up.

Growth

Growing up can be a challenging and often confusing process for anybody, and if it isn’t, you probably aren’t doing it just yet. As you cross from teenager to young adult you take on new responsibilities such as paying bills, keeping a job, managing your grades (if you chose to attend College,) real adult relationships, and deciding just who it is you want to be in this crazy world. The possible pitfalls that may come with making the wrong decision in any one of these life situations is enough to make you curl up into a ball and stay inside. But that is not what growth is about, growth entails risk, growth entails meeting these situations head on.

As each year passes, you will often realize that you are nearly an entirely different person than you were the previous year, and this new person will likely look at the old you as a goofy shell of what you are now. You may have already went through several “phases” of personal development, some of which may be a cry for help or plea for attention. At the end of the day, all you can do is move on from these past selves and use the knowledge gained to achieve something great. Kill the old you, and let the new you take control so to speak.

The problem with facing a situation head on is that it is absolutely terrifying, that is why friends are absolutely necessary during your grand voyage to adulthood. Every now and then you are guaranteed to need someone to kick you back into gear; whether it be after an intense breakup, losing your job, missing out on an opportunity that you felt was of supreme importance in your life, or even just getting up the courage to try something new, it is nice to have someone to turn to when life reaches it’s darkest points. Sometimes advice comes in the form of a kick in the ass, but whatever you do, DO NOT let this dissuade you from using the advice. As Winston Churchill once said “Success consists of going from failure to failure, with no loss of enthusiasm.”

You may also run into some philosophical ideas along your journey that make you uncomfortable, this is natural and they can be frightening, but these ideas are meant to be pondered. Who are you? Why do you exist? What do you believe? Has what you have been taught been wrong this whole time? Think long and hard on these and other philosophical questions life may throw at you and I promise, you will come out on the other end with a deeper knowledge of your place in this world. So many people follow the path their parents have laid out for them, and are then left to look back on life once they reach the inevitable dead end that comes with not being who you want to be. Think outside the box, don’t be afraid to abandon social norms, don’t be afraid to disappoint those who love you, just do what makes you happy and the rest will fall into place.