10 Friendship Tips We Learned From Grey’s Anatomy
The friendships of Grey’s Anatomy aren’t always perfect – but they can still teach fans a lot about how to be the best friends possible.
The main characters on Grey’s Anatomy have all become close friends thanks to working at the same hospital. Many friendships form because of school, work, or meeting mutual pals, and while sometimes people hang out for convenience’s sake, Meredith and her friends do really care about each other.
While Grey’s Anatomy offers up a lot of advice about dating and working hard at a dream career, the show’s many seasons also have some wisdom about how to make friends, what makes a good pal, and how making friends in the workplace is possible.
Friends Can Become Closer Than Family
While George behaved badly on many occasions, he, Meredith, Cristina, Izzie, and Alex were really close at the beginning of Grey’s Anatomy. The interns bonded and knew that they would be friends forever. Sadly, they didn’t know that George would pass away and Meredith would eventually be the only person left at the hospital.
These characters prove an important friendship lesson: that friends can become even closer than family members. Meredith wanted to move beyond her emotional past and create her own support system. She opened up her home and the interns were always there for each other.
Friends Need To Open Up To Each Other
Fans love Meredith and Cristina’s friendship and Meredith and Alex also became like family as they got to know each other better.
These two characters prove that friends need to open up to each other. Meredith was used to leaning on Cristina, but she realized that Alex could be a shoulder to cry on as well. Alex became kinder as time went on and also embraced his sensitive side and allowed himself to be vulnerable. This allowed him and Meredith to bond.
Making Pals At Work Is A Smart Idea
There are so many benefits to having friends in the workplace from having someone to enjoy a lunch break with to feeling supported.
The characters at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital might not have met each other if not for their internships/jobs, but it definitely seems like they were meant to be friends. If none of them got along, they would fight and compete so much that it would ruin any good that they were trying to do, so in this case, their friendship creates a positive environment in the hospital. Of course, it’s Grey’s Anatomy so there’s still a lot of drama to go around.
Creating A Ritual Bonds People Even Further
While Meredith and Cristina have problems, their love of dancing it out is an interesting ritual that calms them down and brings them joy.
This is one of the most significant friendships in the series and Meredith and Cristina connected and bonded even more once they discovered their mutual love of dancing. It was sometimes to leave the stress of the workday behind, but it also helped them make decisions and process tough feelings. Many people have a similar routine with their best friends, whether a pizza and movie night or going to the same bar for happy hour once a week.
Real Friends Don’t Compete With Each Other
While Jackson and April’s love story doesn’t make total sense, she’s a well-drawn character who just wants to excel in her field.
April can be a bit too competitive, though, and it takes her a while to get along and bond with her co-workers. Grey’s Anatomy proves that friendship and competition don’t mix, and it’s a lesson that all of the characters have to learn since they all want to do well. Jackson and Mark learn to work together, and while Meredith is always somewhat of a loner, she becomes warmer and friendlier as the seasons progress.
A Friendship Needs Mutual Support And Respect
So many characters on Grey’s Anatomy are technically competing with each other for surgery spots, promotions, and general accolades at work. But they have to work as a team or the common goal of saving lives and helping patients gets lost.
Fans can learn the friendship tip from this series that friends need to support and respect each other. This is true of Meredith and Bailey, who know that they are each brilliant at what they do, and also of Alex, who becomes friendly with Arizona and realizes he can learn a ton from her. The characters might have their differences, but at the end of the day, they have to respect each other’s passion for medicine, hard work, and intelligence.
Romance Really Can Ruin Or Affect The Friendship
People often say that they’re scared to date a friend because if it doesn’t work out, it could make it difficult to stay pals.
While taking that risk can be worth it, things can also go south, and that’s a friendship tip that fans can learn from the beloved hospital drama. George slept with Izzie and cheated on Callie, and while Izzie and George knew being friends was better for them, it was impossible to forget what happened. They may have continued to be part of the same social circle, but they most likely thought about this awkward moment over and over again.
Being Envious Of Another Friendship Is Normal
Meredith’s old dear friend Sadie appeared in the show’s fifth season, and Cristina had trouble with the fact that Meredith was so close with her.
While it’s frustrating to feel envious of a friend’s closeness with someone else, it’s definitely normal to feel this way. It can be tough to hear inside jokes and it’s easy to feel left out, especially if someone doesn’t get invited to happy hour or a get together. Fans can relate to how Cristina felt here, but it’s also true that people have friends for different reasons, and there’s room for everyone.
A True Friend Says To Come Over, No Questions Asked
Amelia tends to run away when things get difficult in her life. This isn’t one of her finest traits and it always causes more problems.
In season 13, Amelia ran away from Owen and went to stay with Stephanie. While it can be tough to not get too involved in a friend’s messy relationship, a true friend will tell someone to come over without asking too many questions. They’ll never miss the chance to give some helpful advice or just listen if that’s what the other person needs.
Friends Understand Each Other’s Pain Even If They Don’t Agree With Certain Choices
After her best friend Cristina moved away, it seemed like Meredith had experienced too much sadness, but then she lost the love of her life, Derek.
Meredith ran away with her children and her friends didn’t know where she was. While they didn’t agree with this choice and might not have done the same thing, they seemed to understand that she was in pain and this was how she was grieving. A good friend tries to see a situation from their pal’s perspective instead of judging and getting upset.