Five Life Lessons from Harry Potter

After reading the entire Harry Potter series (I finished book seven Saturday afternoon—21 July 2007), it occurred to me that there were several really, really excellent life lessons. While there are countless truisms and lessons throughout the Harry Potter series, these five “lessons” represent, IMHO, the concepts of how a meaningful life can be achieved.

1. Sometimes, you just have to find out things on your own.

This painful lesson is often skirted by parents and loved ones in the name of “protection”. If, for example, someone you love (see #5) is about to do something that YOU, from experience, know will be harmful, the first thought is to help them avoid it. But what good does that really do? Ignoring the someone doesn’t work either, as Dumbledore learned in OoTP. The trick is to be a guide through the “trial” and, though frustrating, let the person gain their own experience. Dumbledore learns this the hard way, paying with his life in HBP, and Harry is left to sort it out on his own without guidance from anyone. Thankfully Dumbledore left some kind of instructions for Harry to follow, and thankfully others in The Order honor Dumbledore’s instructions to a 17 year-old. Even though he MUST discover things on his own, he does have a helpful supporting cast and, as in life, even when you think you’re alone, you’re not. While you might have to find out something on your own, there’s no shame in asking for help along the way—or taking it when it’s offered—as Harry finally learns.

2. Things happen when they’re supposed to happen; Great things only happen after a LOT of hard work.

No matter how much you want something to happen, it will not happen until it’s time. Likewise, as Billy Joel says, “…you can’t be everything you want to be before it’s time.” And really great things, truly great things, only happen after working really, really, really hard. It takes Harry seven years of struggle to learn this lesson. For folks in the real world, it can take a lifetime if they’re unaware. Even though Harry doesn’t want to be great (“…I don’t want eternal glory…”), because of his hard work and dedication to a “right” cause (see #3), what he does becomes great. Likewise with Voldermort. As Olivander says when he meets Harry, “…He Who Must Not Be Named did great things. Terrible, yes. But great…” Indeed, it is this struggle that perhaps personifies Harry’s plight. He is constantly fighting against greatness, even though his hard work pays off with such great abilities as being able to cast a powerful Patronus charm in his third year—something never before thought possible. And not only that, but in his fifth year, he teaches others—some even younger than he was when he learned it—to cast strong Patronus charms as well. His hard work led to something great. All greatness aside, none of it happened prematurely. Those things only happened when it was time for them to happen, not before, not after. Just exactly when they were supposed to happen.

3. The hardest choices in life are between what is right, and what is easy.

“Right” choices are, in most instances, very difficult. If something were easy, everyone would do it. It’s always easiest to do the wrong thing. But, as Harry discovers, there are many different “right” choices, some of which might ruffle feathers of the PTB (Powers That Be). And ruffling feathers is okay. There needs to be more of it! If your judgment is clouded when it comes to a critical decision, remember that the “easy” way does not usually lead to any state of enlightenment or edification. The “right” choice will usually be MUCH, MUCH more difficult to do! Harry also learns that black-and-white choices are not always so black-and-white: there’s a lot of gray. Dumbledore is a master at the use of gray in life, allowing such occurrences as Hermione’s and Harry’s use of the time turner to save Sirius and Buckbeak, allowing a fourth Wizard in the tri-wizard tournament, and allowing Harry to accompany him on the hunt for horcruxes—all very gray areas, with really no discernable black or white. Yet each choice is definitely NOT an easy one.

4. Sometimes, people just die.

As Dumbledore tells Harry in book 7 (pg. 721), “…there are far, far worse things in the living world than dying.” After death, people live on in one way or another—whether in soul, or spirit, or body, or in your heart or mind. Death is simply an extension of life. When people die, it is merely part of a process, and not something over which to suffer or anguish. Death should be a joyful time to celebrate the release from the woes and sufferings of life. Some cultures understand this, others—MOST others—don’t. Is it sad to lose a loved one? Certainly. But mourning or complaining or fighting is no way to honor their life. And whether we want them to or not, sometimes, they just die, regardless of what we want or try to do. That’s death: life.

5. True Love conquers all.

Love is the most powerful force in the universe. It can break hearts, change lives, bring down kingdoms, and topple mountains. It can make a “bad” person “good” and a “good” person “great”. Harry continually learns the value of love, which often begins as friendship and grows. And I’m not talking about ONLY about romantic love, but love for our fellow beings—platonic love. Harry certainly loves his parents, but he also loves Dumbledore, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and in the end, even Snape! It is Harry’s understanding of love—along with his cleverness—that finally defeats Voldermort. Think about it: Harry uses a simple Expeliarmus spell against the seemingly much more powerful, “unforgivable” Avada Kedavra Curse. Because of his convictions, he can’t bring himself to kill anyone, really (the Elder Wand does it for him), as much as he may feel like he should (although he does attempt the gray area with Cruciatus and Imperius Curses). His continued use of defensive spells, even when he’s reminded that people know what to expect, is perhaps the most telling sign of his love—even though he might not recognize it as such.