7 Lessons Regina George Taught Us in 'Mean Girls'

Mean Girls is the movie that defined a generation. Hell, it's the movie you can still watch and feel like absolutely no time has passed since it first came out and the movie you can practically quote from start to finish. I still can't quite believe Mean Girls is actually ten years old when I can still do the entire Jingle Bell Rock dance and remember to tell Aaron Samuels that his hair looks sexy pushed back. However, aside from the amazing soundtrack, the perfect one-liners, and the moral lesson that was poignant without being heavy-handed, there is one thing from Mean Girls that stands out above all else. Or, rather, one person: Regina George.

Regina George may have seemed like your typical selfish, backstabbing slut faced ho-bag, but, in reality, she was so much more than that. How do I even begin to explain Regina George? She was no hero. In fact, she was such a villain that she made the actual hero, Cady Heron, into a villain as well. However, Regina was nothing if not educational as a person and as a character. Whether or not you have ever felt personally victimized by Regina George, you can't deny that she had some important life lessons to impart.

1. You Can Make Anything Work If You Have the Confidence

Not only did Regina shrug her shoulders and strut out of the locker room with her boobs out like a model on a catwalk, she turned nipple-less shirts into a fashion trend at her school. All she did was have the confidence to think I'm Regina George and I can do what I want. And then she did.

2. Mothers Should Be Mothers First and Best Friends Second

As great as it is to have a mother who is also one of your best friends, there's a limit on exactly how much of that you should have to put up with. If your mother starts offering you booze and condoms and telling you that you keep her young, it's time to tell her to stop talking.

3. Perverts Should Not Be Tolerated

Regina cut straight to the point and translated Jason's sleazy sexual harassment for Cady, then told him to buzz off in true Regina George style. Whether she knows you well or not, no one should have to put up with gross boys and their grosser come-ons in Regina George's world.

4. Always Reach Out to Befriend the New Girl

Regina is pretty much the worst friend in the world, but that doesn't mean we can't follow her example to keep the Cadys of the world from having to eat lunch in the bathroom.

5. Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer

In life, we're always going to find ourselves having to interact with people that we don't like but that we have to pretend to like anyway. Backstabbing and gossiping is the wrong way to go about it, but Regina George definitely gave us all a lesson in politics, if nothing else.

6. There's More Than One Outlet for Aggression

After all was said and done, Regina joined the lacrosse team to find a better outlet for her rage than ruining people's lives and everyone should follow her example. At the very least, taking your aggression out on your pillow instead of slinging a backhanded compliment out like a weapon would do the world a lot of good.

7. High School isn't Forever

As soon as the Plastics were no more, a new generation of Plastics rose to take their place, proving that no matter how dramatic and crazy high school might seem, the world keeps spinning on. Regina's life may never be as good as it was during those four years, but no one can deny that she had fun. As long as you've got good friends and the confidence to find your fun when and where you can, high school — and life — will be a breeze.

Image: Paramount Pictures; Tumblr; Tumblr; Tumblr; Tumblr; Tumblr; Tumblr; Tumblr