20 life lessons we learned from Harry Potter (2024)

Harry Potter is loved the world over for so many reasons.

If you've ever read the books or watched the films, the magical wizarding world born from the mind of JK Rowling most likely had some sort of affect on you.

Today marks 20 years since Harry Potter and the Philosophyer's Stone was first published - and it seems difficult to remember what life was like before the boy wizard came along.

After the books created a massive, loyal fanbase of kids and adults alike, the film series gave a wider audience an introduction into the world of Hogwarts and followed the antics of Harry and his pals Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Whether you were a fan of the action, or enjoyed the warmer moments between characters, the Harry Potter series as a whole was clever at teaching its readers and viewers some incredibly valuable life lessons.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Philosopher's Stone, here are 20 of the best pieces of advice from the series that we can use in all aspects of our lives.

1. Don't judge a book by it's cover.

Let's face it, we all hated Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape, and felt a little bit scared of Sirius Black at first. Little did we know they were all incredibly misunderstood. While they were written in a way that made them seem like they were constantly out to get Harry, we soon discovered that they all had his best interests at heart. Except Draco, who had daddy issues.

Likewise, we learned that many characters we thought were good through and through had some morally grey areas when it came to decision-making. We quickly learn that the same applies to people we meet in real life.

2. You don't have to be blood-related to be family.

Poor Harry. He lost his parents as a baby, his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and insufferable cousin Dudley all bully him, and his Uncle Sirius died right in front of him just as he was getting to know him. But it's not all bad. He knows that with friends like Ron and Hermione, he'll never feel alone. As the saying goes: Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.

3. Don’t be afraid to stand up to your enemies ...

OK, so the word ‘enemies’ is maybe a bit strong, but the books taught us not to be afraid to stand up to people in the wrong - whether it's a taunting bully or a powerful wizard trying to kill you.

Considering most of the readers would have been going through that crucial coming-of-age time in their lives, helping them find their voice and speak out was a very valuable lesson indeed.

4. ... or your friends.

While we might joke around with pals and enjoy winding them up, it can be difficult to put them in their place when they step out of line, for fear of falling out and losing a mate.

But if, like Neville Longbottom, you find you need to take drastic action against your friends for their own good, the books will have helped you find that confidence to stand up to them and explain your reasons.

5. Face your fears.

Whether it was dementors or huge scary spiders, the Harry Potter gang had their fair share of run-ins with all kinds of terrifying creatures. The courage and bravery they showed throughout the series no doubt had a significant impact on their readers, giving them that confidence boost to go out into the world and face those metaphorical scary monsters.

6. Finding courage is easier in the right company.

Speaking of friends, Harry may have had to fight some battles against Voldemort on his own, but most of the time he had his two best pals by his side. And when he set up Dumbledore's Army, he felt invincible. When you have your mates around you, you feel like you can take on life's toughest challenges.

7. Never underestimate the geeky kid.

But bravery means nothing if you don't know what you're doing. Harry and Ron may have gotten sick of Hermione always barking at them, but at least she knew what she was talking about. How many times did they get into trouble and have to rely on her smarts to save them? Exactly. Knowledge is power, you just have to know how, and when, to use it.

8. Sometimes the right decision is the hardest.

This is probably one of the toughest, but most important lessons Harry Potter could have taught us. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made in order to do what's right, to defeat the baddy and save the ones we love.

Hermione erased her family's memory of her ever being born in a heartbreaking attempt to protect them. It's just one of the tough choices the characters are faced with, and which their readers will often relate to in some way.

9. Respect your elders.

The professors at Hogwarts are some of the wisest characters in the entire series. Despite being a completely fictional character, Albus Dumbledore is heralded worldwide for his wise yet humble outlook on life.

10. Mum knows best.

Even though he never properly got to meet her, Harry learned a lot about his mother, most importantly that she loved him dearly. On the other hand, he got to know Ron's mother very well, from her delicious home baking, to her ragey side whenever one of the Weasley's got into trouble (usually Ron). She's so caring and protective that she often seemed a bit like a mother figure to Harry.

11. Rules are meant to be broken.

No matter how many times they were told not to go into that Forbidden Forest (and it was a LOT) Harry and co just couldn't keep away - it almost became there second home!

But they didn't just do it to be nuisances. Sometimes heading into those dark woods held the key to solving another problem. It wasn't always a nice experience and would get them in so much trouble but needs must.

12. Racism just isn't cool.

Whether you're Pureblood, Half-Blood or Muggleborn, discrimination and prejudice against others is just wrong. You just make yourself out to look foolish, and you risk getting a fist to the nose from someone like Hermione Granger.

13. It's always the quiet ones.

Let's not forget the underdogs of the series. Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom overcame their quiet nature to announce themselves as heroes at the end. This taught us that even the shy ones have a fire burning inside of them, they just need the opportunity to let it out.

14. The past is in the past but we create our own future.

A lot of the characters have a pretty rotten past, not least the protagonist himself. But Harry doesn't let his unfortunate past get him down, instead he uses it as motivation to push forth and create a better future for himself and those around him. Sure, there are many more heartbreaking moments along the way, but he gets there in the end.

15. Cherish the little things.

Sometimes life can get a bit hectic and time can pass us by without us even noticing. In Harry's case, it's finding and destroying all of Voldemort's horcruxes. In our case, it's working five days a week, taking care of the kids, making dinner, doing housework, walking the dog, food shopping, etc... (It's pretty much the same, right?)

Sometimes, we need to stop and appreciate the little things. Maybe spending some time watching telly with the family or, in Dumbledore's case, it's a brand new pair of socks - because even the wisest wizard of all still loses his.

16. Know your own strength.

This is an important lesson as it stops us from hurting ourselves and those around us. Sometimes Harry would put his loved ones in danger, without even realising it, as he grew more powerful as a wizard and as a person. And remember that words are just as powerful, if not more so, than our actions.

17. Be yourself.

Many of us feel the need to drastically change our personality to adapt to new surroundings, but what Harry Potter tells us is that, at our core, we need to stay true to who we really are.
Take Luna Lovegood. Everyone thinks she's a bit eccentric but they learn to love her all the same.

18. Good things come to those who wait.

Poor Harry had to suffer 11 long years of the Dursley’s horrible treatment before making his way to Hogwarts. The moment Hagrid said those famous words, the boy wizard’s life changed forever. It’s like that old Scottish saying: “What’s for ye won’t go by ye!”

19. We're never truly alone.

Rowling’s books taught us that even if there’s no one around, we’re never truly alone.

Even when he was back home with the Dursleys over school holidays, Harry could still communicate with pals and always felt the love of his parents and, later, his godfather Sirius.

20. Love trumps hate.

This message ran strong from the very first chapter of Philosopher's Stone to the final scene of Deathly Hallows II. When you're faced with anger, jealousy, bullying or any kind of negativity, it can almost always be overpowered by love, tolerance and compassion.

In Harry Potter, this was a bit more literal - Harry's mum Lily literally saved him from being murdered by the Dark Lord with her love, sacrificing her own life and leaving him with a tiny scar. But even the smallest acts of kindness can make all the difference.