With 12 seasons (and counting) of Supernatural, Sam and Dean Winchester have proved one thing: They never give up. While hopefully no one watching Supernatural lives a life similar to Sam and Dean, there is still plenty to learn from our favorite monster hunters. Sam and Dean have survived wild circumstances but the lessons they teach are relatable and apply to nearly everyone. Here all the ways that Sam and Dean have inspired us to never give up the fight.
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Never Letting an Obstacle Stop You
The “fight” that Sam and Dean engage in on a daily basis is quite a bit different than the fights of the average viewer. As such, their obstacles are quite a bit larger and weirder than pretty much everyone watching. When regular people die, they die and they stay dead (unless they are medically dead and are revived within seconds.) When Sam and Dean die, even in the most horrendous of circumstances, they are usually coming back to life. There are too many individual circumstances of Sam and Dean conquering death, about 120 times combined, to list them. The lesson to take from these instances remain the same. No matter what happens or how impossible the block in their path seems, Sam and Dean keep going.
There is the occasional time when an obstacle will really begin to affect them. There was that time that Sam came back from Hell without his soul. There is also that moment that Dean came back from Hell severely depressed. Then there was also that incident in which Dean became a demon and turned into a bit of a murderous monster, but the point is the boys have always bounced back. No matter who or what was in their path, Sam and Dean have found a way to move forward and that’s a lesson we can all use in our own lives.
Going on Despite the Odds
The twin lesson to never being defeated by an obstacle is never giving up before you even start, just because the goal seems unattainable. It is old hat by now in season 12, but the Winchester brothers have achieved remarkable things after constantly being told they could not manage it. In the beginning, Azazel was constantly taunting the boys about his power and luring them into a plot literally centuries in the making. Yet the brothers defeated him. The angels were sure that Sam and Dean couldn’t imprison Lucifer but Sam and Dean managed that as well. Even as recently as Amara, Sam and Dean took down the beginning of all darkness in the universe. (Technically it was really more God who fixed that problem but without Sam and Dean, God never would have stopped his sister.) No matter how unbelievable it might seem Sam and Dean always dive headfirst into achieving their goals and they usually succeed. It’s an example worth emulating.
Not Giving into Grief and Despair
Sam and Dean have lost a fair number of people in their lives. As much as Sam and Dean have died they almost have more friends and family who have perished. John Winchester, Jo and Ellen Harvelle, Charlie and Bobby are just a few of the people the boys have lost over the years. Despite the pain they’ve suffered from those losses, Sam and Dean have never really given up. It would be so easy for Sam and Dean to give into despair and give up their hunting life and trade it in for something much safer. Sam and Dean honor the sacrifices of their family and friends they have lost. They keep on going and that perseverance is admirable even for those of us who don’t fight monsters for a living.
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Family Can Be Found Anywhere
Sam and Dean have also managed to consistently build a support system for themselves. They have each other, which is probably the most important thing, but one of the best ways to succeed is to surround yourself with those who love and support you. Sam and Dean might live a pretty isolated life but they have connections across the country and they are always there for their friends too. Between people like Jody Mills, Bobby and even perpetual mainstays like Castiel, Sam and Dean have a strong but very diverse family unit. No matter how many people they lose or how many times they are betrayed, Sam and Dean always manage to find new allies and open themselves to new people. If Sam and Dean can bounce back from tumultuous relationships with people like Gordon and Benny, there is nothing stopping you.
Doing the Right Thing No Matter What
It’s true that on occasion, Sam and Dean have engaged in some morally questionable activities. On the whole, though, the Winchester brothers always try to do the right thing even when it is hard. When the brothers have those telling them it would be better just to give in and take the easy way out, they rebel. They always do the right thing.
The recent struggle between the brothers and Men of Letters is the perfect example of this conflict. It would be much simpler for Sam and Dean to give into the Men of Letters’ way of thinking and just eliminate any real or potential threat with extreme prejudice. Sam and Dean never take that easy way. They do the hard thing, get personally involved and always try to make sure everyone gets out alive. It’s Sam and Dean’s morality more than anything else that is their biggest strength.
So what do you think? Which lessons have you applied to your life? Did we miss any big things that Sam and Dean have taught us? Which of these is the most valuable to you?
Supernatural season 12 returns Thursday, January 26 at 8/7c on The CW. Want more news? Like our Supernatural Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
