While Survivor is, at its core, a reality television series designed to entertain viewers, there have been some dramatic awakenings and lessons learned by competitors on the show, particularly within the best seasons. Thrown into the wilderness with a group of random people, away from family and friends, struggling to find food, make shelter, and pass the time between competitions can really take a toll.
For this reason, it's no surprise that many previous players have talked about the life lessons they have taken home with them to the real world after playing the game. Yes, it's a game. But there's a lot that Survivor teaches about how to approach life, others, and personal awareness.
Never Give Up
Sometimes, players encounter people who have much more physical strength and mental prowess then they do in the game. This can easily be defeating, making a person believe they aren't good enough. But with encouragement from a tribe and the host Jeff Probst, many have been motivated to push themselves to limits they didn't even know they had.
Players like David Wright have realized that they can do anything they put their minds to. And in many cases, even when someone knows they have lost a challenge, they continue to push hard to complete a task to show others, both there in person and watching from home, that it's important to never give up.
Be True To Yourself
There will always be people who don't like someone. Even adults encounter bullies and bullying behavior. But one thing Survivor teaches people to do is to always stand up for and be true to yourself. You are always good enough.
This requires accepting that it's impossible to please every person, all the time. All anyone can do is be the best version of themselves they can be, and be confident that that's worthy of love and acceptance.
Pay Attention To Social Cues
Some people come onto Survivor with a totally open mind, which is a great thing. But it's also important to be aware of social cues and to pick up on them, just as it's important to do just that in real life. It doesn't have to go to the lengths of employing wild paranoid strategies, like Tony's spy shacks to find out who's talking behind your back and who's on your side. But analyzing situations before making rash judgments is important.
Nowhere else like Survivor is it more important to pick up on social cues and what types of people are worth trusting and which ones aren't.
Always Have A Plan
So many times in Survivor, Tribal Council results in a blindside when someone who got too comfortable and let their guard down was sent home in a surprise move. Think of how many players have gone home with Idols in their pockets because they didn't see the backstab coming.
Survivor teaches that it's always important to have a plan, thinking two steps ahead versus just in the moment. Strategizing has a lot of elements and moving parts, so while it's great to think in the moment, sometimes, it's good to have a clear and concise plan to follow.
Be Accepting Of Others
The theme of acceptance has been apparent many times in recent seasons of Survivor, most notably with Zeke Smith, who was outed as transgender during a shocking Tribal Council. He took it in stride and handled it with grace.
But again and again, people have learned from both playing and watching Survivor to never judge a book by its cover and always be accepting of others. Doing so could lead to the unlikeliest of friendships. One such example of that was the adorable bond between the young jock Caleb and the adorably compassionate older man Tai – two people who likely would never have crossed paths in real life had they not opened up to one another on the island and realized they got along amazingly well.
Loyalty Goes A Long Way
Many people who have made it to the end of Survivor have done so by forming loyal bonds and tight alliances with other players, or at least one other player. Loyalty can go a long way not only in the game but also in real life.
When two people in the game know with certainty that they have one another's backs and make an ironclad pact to help one another to the end, it usually works. The same can be said in real life – having someone unconditionally on your side, and conversely, being unconditionally on the side of another person, can make a huge difference.
Don't Be Wasteful
Every season shows tribe members struggling to find basic necessities like food, water, and shelter. It's easy to take these things for granted in real life when they are so abundantly available. Take them away and it's a wake-up call that maybe it isn't such a good idea to buy food in excess that ends up in the garbage or to spend money on unnecessary frivolities.
It's interesting to see how players' faces light up at the sight of something as simple as pizza, burgers, beer, and chocolate as a winning meal for a challenge.
Be Nice To People
It's a pretty simple lesson: be nice to others. It goes a long way. Oftentimes, the person who wins Survivor has accomplished this by not only outwitting, outlasting, and outplaying others, but by being well-liked as well. Sandra Diaz-Twine might not have garnered respect for being a physical threat, and she did employ some dirty tactics. But in the end, she managed to win twice by doing something simple: being friends with most of the people on the jury.
Being cut-throat, mean, and deceptive might work. But in the end, it's important to win with integrity and not disrespect people along the way, whether playing Survivor or going about daily life.
Don't Take Loved Ones For Granted
One of the most emotional moments every season of Survivor is when the remaining players are reunited with a loved one from home for a short period of time. The tears flow heavily as they realize how much they missed their significant other, parent, sibling, child, or close friend. "I love Survivor," said Blood Vs. Water player Rupert, "but I love my wife more." It was a poignant statement that put the game into perspective.
It's easy to take important people for granted when they are right there. But not having them for weeks at a time, not even being able to call or speak to them, makes one realize just how important human contact is.
Savor Every Moment
Spending time on Survivor motivates people to appreciate and savor every precious moment in life. Whether it's something as mundane as sharing a drink with a friend or playing a board game with the kids, every moment is precious and important.
On Survivor, in between competitions and diary sessions, the players have nothing to do but try and survive and pass the time. They tell stories of their lives and realize how some of the simplest moments might have had the biggest impact.