The Vampire Diaries may have been a supernatural show, but at its heart, it was a teen drama.
Throughout its run it taught us many lessons to live by.
Read on as we discuss our favorite lessons from The Vampire Diaries Series Premiere.
When Checking a Potentially Dead Body, Bring Back Up
Why is it that in TV shows and movies people are always going to check on a dead body alone?
The person always inevitably ends up being alive and the majority of the time ends up being a killer.
People need to have more self-preservation skills and remember that there is strength in numbers.
When a Dead Body Appears Out of Nowhere, Get Back in Your Car
Similar to the first lesson we learned, people always seem to throw all logic out the window when in a terrifying situation.
When this girl’s boyfriend’s dead body gets flung on top of her car, instead of getting in the car and driving to civilization, she runs through the open street.
Unless you are an Olympic level track star, you most likely are not going to outrun whatever or whoever the killer is so your best bet is the protection the car provides.
Journaling is Good for the Soul
A lot can be said for the cathartic experience of spilling your heart and soul into the pages of a journal.
Your journal will never judge you, laugh at you, or reveal your secrets to the world. It is the ultimate friend, and a lot can be said for that.
Sometimes it is just good to get your feelings out, instead of holding them in, and a journal is good for just that.
Fake it Until You Make It
Elena was in a lot of pain following her parents’ deaths.
She was wracked with survivors guilt on top of her feelings of loss.
Elena had always been a happy, carefree girl up until that point though and the best way she figured to get through the day was to pretend she was still that girl.
It’s All About the Coffee
Sometimes all you need is a little caffeine to get you through the day.
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Be Present
Daydreaming your life away only gets you so far. It’s important to be present in the moment.
Elena has a good friend in Bonnie who is trying to do her best to keep Elena’s spirits up, and by ignoring her and getting lost in her thoughts, she isn’t truly appreciating what you have.
When it feels like everything is going wrong, it is best to remember what is going right.
Put Positivity Out into the Universe
If you put negativity out into the universe you are bound to get it back, so why not put out positivity instead?
Bonnie knows that Elena is going through a lot, but she also knows that hoping for the best can’t hurt.
Sometimes People Surprise You
Elena spent a lot of time judging Caroline when The Vampire Diaries started.
Even though they were friends, there was a fakeness to their friendship that came from a lot of unspoken issues.
However, Caroline ended up being one of the best characters on the show and showed time and time again that she had a huge heart, even after being turned into a vampire.
Don’t Deal Drugs in the Open
When conducting illicit activities, it is best to do them in private, a concept that Jeremy doesn’t seem to be able to comprehend.
Jeremy may not think he has much to lose, but he has more good in his life than he could possibly know.
If Someone Doesn’t Appreciate What They Have, Walk Away
Tyler may have been the gorgeous, cool, popular guy, but he never appreciated what he had with Vicki. No matter how he treated her, though, Vicki let him get away with it.
Jeremy saw Vicki for who she was and loved her for all of it; the good and the bad.
Too often we choose the one who doesn’t deserve us.
Related: TV Wisdom: 17 Things We Learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1 Episode 1
If You Randomly Bump Into Your New Crush at the Cemetary, They’re Probably Bad News
Your average person doesn’t usually hang out in a cemetary.
Maybe the fact that both Elena and Stefan did was a sign that they were soul mates, or maybe, more likely, it should have been a side to Elena that Stefan was up to no good.
Beware a Man Who Disappears at Lightning Speed
This applies both physically and mentally.
If someone is constantly disappearing for your life or mentally checking out, let them go.
We all deserve someone who is going to be present.
Don’t Hook Up With Your Friend’s Sibling
There is a code in friendships, and Tyler broke that code when he went after Vicki behind Matt’s back.
It is one thing to get approval from your friend. It is another not even to bother telling them you are doing it.
Tyler at least owed Matt a heads up.
This complete lack of regard for Matt’s feelings is one of Tyler’s worst qualities on the show.
There Is No Better Investigator Than a Teenage Girl in Heat
Caroline took no time at all to get all the dirt on Stefan.
In the day and age of us living on social media, access to information is greater than ever before. You can find out everything to need to know about something with just a single search.
Caroline managed to do that all using just word of mouth, though. A sign of true skill.
When Your Stalker Alarm is Going Off, Listen to It
Stefan may be gorgeous, but the fact that he showed up at Elena’s house without her 1. inviting him or 2. giving him her address should have set off some serious alarms.
Between this and the random pop up at the cemetery, Elena’s instincts should have kicked in that there was something off with Stefan.
If someone seems too good to be true, there’s a good chance they are and this is one of those cases.
Related: 15 Things We Learned from the Grey’s Anatomy Series Premiere
This Too Shall Pass
Elena may have thought that she would never get past her parents’ death, and she is right. That loss would be with her forever.
That unbearable sadness that she feels because of it, though? That would lessen over time.
Every bad feeling in life is temporary; a fact that we forget when we are in the thick of it.
You Can’t Help How You Feel
Elena felt guilty over the fact that she could reciprocate Matt’s feelings, but at the end of the day, we don’t have control over our feelings.
I’m sure if Elena had a choice in the matter, she would have felt the same. It would have been easier. But feelings are just that: feelings. Our feelings are the one thing we don’t get to choose.
You Can’t Ignore Dibs
Another rule of friendships that our favorite characters on The Vampire Diaries, and pretty much every other teen drama, seem to forget is that dibs means dibs.
Elena clearly had a thing for Stefan, something that Caroline and every other resident of Beacon Falls could see from a mile away, but Caroline still made a move on him.
When your friends call dibs on someone, it is your duty as a friend to back off until if and when they are ready to let go of their dibs.
Don’t Ignore Your Instincts
Bonnie may have been a witch with psychic capabilities, but even though she didn’t know about it yet, she trusted in her instincts.
Our instincts are the universes way of showing us the truth, and the right course of action and they should never be ignored.
Never Let Down Your Guard
Stefan overestimated Damon and let his guard down; a mistake that he would make countless times.
Letting your guard down around the people you can’t trust is never a good idea.
Life Isn’t a Competition
Caroline and Elena may have been friends, but Caroline couldn’t help but see it as a competition; one that she was losing.
It is hard not to pay attention to what those around you are doing, but the person you should be most concerned with is yourself.
Focusing on everyone else can lead to feelings of inadequacy, exactly as we see with Caroline.
It is more important to focus on what you are doing right, rather than what others are doing better.
Over to you, Fanatics. What lessons did you learn through your time watching The Vampire Diaries? Comment them below!
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Meaghan Frey is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.