4 Life Lessons From ‘Suits’
- August 5, 2017
- Rosetta Westbrook
Just about everyone with a Netflix subscription is watching the hit US drama Suits. Now in its seventh series, the show’s plot centres on a group of high flying lawyers whose debauchery and underhand tactics fit certain stereotypes.
If you find yourself asking fellow colleagues, “What would Donna do?”, have started answering your boss’ questions with cryptic film quote references or have more framed photos of your cat than loved ones, then consider yourself a die-hard fan. But what are the wider life lessons we can all take from Suits?
Be true to your beliefs
Donna Paulsen is the ultimate heroine of the show and always stays true to her beliefs. As Harvey Specter’s secretary, she is burdened with his fiery temper and demanding nature, but never wavers in the face of it all.
Why not? Because her sassy and unabashed attitude empowers her to speak up when her beliefs are compromised. She doesn’t let anyone dictate how she should live her life, even if it means sacrificing her job. As a result, she gets the respect she deserves and shuts down bullies before they can open their mouths.
We could all be a bit more ‘Donna’ – just don’t go illegally impersonating someone else and nearly ending up in jail.
Friendship wins the day
Louis Litt is the man we love to hate and hate to love. We’ve watched him bribe his way to partner, learnt what ‘mudding’ is and now use the term ‘you got Litt Up’ like it’s part of everyday speech.
Louis and Harvey’s on-off relationship has seen Louis desperately try to impress Harvey at any given moment and Harvey relentlessly taunt Louis about anything and everything. Like brothers, the pair have fought, punched and bullied each other into submission, only to realise they would rather have each other around than not.
A combination of Louis’ great mind and Harvey’s generosity of character has saved the day or won the case when they’ve put aside their differences and worked together, and we secretly love it when they hug it out. Despite being pitted against each other for much of the time, we learn that giving a little of yourself for another person usually gets you further.
Friendships can’t be bought, so go and remind someone what they mean to you.
It’s OK to make mistakes
Mike Ross is the exam fraud-cum-lawyer who lied his way into his job as Harvey’s protégé, but who ultimately uses his powers for good.
After falling for Rachel Zane, a paralegal at the firm, he finally admits his secret to her: that he didn’t technically go to Harvard. She forgives fim and they go on to get engaged. Despite the near collapse of the firm and a multitude of people hurt by his secret, Mike’s desire to do good and strong work ethic mean his past criminality is forgiven, even by a jury.
While it is not recommended you pose as a lawyer in the hope you’ll be forgiven, it does serve as a reminder that we all make mistakes along the way, both in our careers and personal lives. If you move forward with genuine integrity and are willing to work hard and face up to your mistakes, then you’re doing the best job you can. Don’t beat yourself up; we’ve all been there!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
On the surface, Harvey Specter is the definition of an independent alpha male. But even he doesn’t get it right all the time. We see Harvey sheepishly shuffle into Jessica’s office on a number of occasions when things have gone south. Two heads are better than one, and their teamwork usually yields a brilliant solution.
Recognise where extra expertise is required. Seeking advice means harnessing the best of several minds. You’ll garner more respect by aiming to solve a problem than by burying it in the hope it goes away and then finding it blows up in your face. So speak up and ask for help when you need it.
Rosetta Westbrook is a lifestyle blogger and writer for Inspiring Interns with a love of design and strong belief in the importance of people’s mental well-being. Visit her blog Little Rosette and also find her on LinkedIn.
Inspiring Interns is a graduate recruitment agency which specialises in sourcing candidates for marketing internship roles and giving out graduate careers advice. To browse graduate jobs and graduate jobs Manchester, visit their website.
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