10 Lessons Learned from "Six Feet Under"

For fans of the show "Six Feet Under," there are a lot of lessons to be learned. For those unfamiliar with the show, you might watch and learn for yourself.

1. Life always continues after death.

No matter how hard things seem after a loved one has passed away, you eventually have to go on living. It is inevitable that you get on with your life. Nathaniel's resistance to this very idea after the death of his wife Lisa demonstrates this well.

2. You are never too old to rediscover love.

Throughout the entire series, Ruth, the mother of Nathaniel, David, and Claire, deals with issues surrounding her sexuality and her search for true love. She is a widow throughout most of the series as her husband, the proprietor of Fisher and Sons, is killed in the very first minutes of the first episode. Ruth finds love again many times, and throughout the process, learns a lot about herself.

3. People continue to live on, even after they die.

Throughout the series, people who have died continue to affect the lives of those who are still living. Many times throughout the series, all of the Fisher children see their father in their dreams and talk to him when times are tough. For Nathaniel, his deceased wife Lisa continues to shape his life, and he has a constant remind of her in his daughter Maya.

4. Open relationships aren't a great idea.

There are several episodes dealing with issues arising as a result of the open relationship between David Fisher and his boyfriend Keith. Without giving away too much, it isn't pretty. They later regret the decision.

5. Family businesses can be tricky.

While many episodes deal with the tricky politics that surround family business, the first episodes deal with it in most detail. A lot of important decisions have to be made after the death of the proprietor of Fisher and Sons Funeral Home, Nate Fisher Senior. Nate Jr. makes the decision to help his brother David run the family business. Both brothers have different attitudes on how the business should be run. Their attempts to reconcile their differences and make the business successful are instructive for anyone who would like a glimpse on what really goes on behind the scenes of a family business.

6. Everyone has secrets.

As with most people in real life, everyone has secrets on the show. In fact, one of the aspects of the show that makes "Six Feet Under" so compelling is that we, the audience, are all privy to their secrets. We get to watch in horror as they blow up in people's faces. Just when you think that you know a character, you are blown away by their actions in another episode.

7. There are just some circumstances that are beyond your control.

As human beings, we are all susceptible to life's circumstances. This appears to be especially true in the case of the Fishers. Throughout the show, you will see them encounter circumstances that would destroy most people.

8. You may be able to hide a big secret for a while, but it will eventually come out.

All of the Fishers have big secrets, even the father Nate Sr., but they eventually come out. In the case of Nate Sr., his came out after his death. His death leads Ruth to divulge a large secret of her own. There are many cautionary tales with regards to keeping secrets throughout the entire series.

9. There is no good way to numb the pain that life throws at you.

You name it, and the characters of "Six Feet Under" have tried it. Sex, drugs, denial, anger, aggression, and everything else fail to numb the pain. In the end, the Fishers and everyone else on the show just has to move through the tough times and truly dealt with the issues in order to grow and move on.

10. Everyone has to deal with their own issues in their own way and time.

There are just as many ways to successfully overcome issues as there are people (or issues to overcome, depending on how you look at it). One of the most satisfying things about "Six Feet Under" is that we get to see the characters successfully overcome obstacles in their own way and on their own terms. In the process, we get to love the characters that we get to watch grow throughout the series.