15 Lessons We Learned From Forrest Gump

A heartwarming tale with a wholesome message that will never become irrelevant, Forrest Gump is the perfect movie to watch when you’re in the mood for a little soul-searching. The story about one man’s incredible and unexpected life journey is as significant now as it was when the film was first released in 1994.

No matter what stage of life someone is in, everyone can take away something meaningful from Gump’s story. We can learn a lot when we see the world through his eyes. Here are several lessons to be learned from the Robert Zemeckis film Forrest Gump.

Updated on March 11, 2021 by Kristen Palamara: Forrest Gump continues to be a classic Oscar-winning movie with countless life lessons scattered throughout the movie that center on Tom Hanks’ character Forrest Gump. The movie follows Gump’s life adventures from growing up to joining the army to starting a shrimp restaurant as he tells his entire story to a stranger he met on a bench waiting for a bus. The movie is a great comedic drama and slice-of-life story that is inspiring to audiences after every viewing because of the heart, kindness, and life lessons throughout. 

15 Do What You Love

Forrest Gump never did anything that he didn’t want to do even if it was for a friend like when he opened up Bubba Gump Shrimp because it was his friend’s dream. Forrest didn’t think through everything he did because he didn’t really need to; he followed his gut and he did what he loved.

He loved his friend, so he opened Bubba Gump Shrimp. He loved to run so he ran as far as he could, and he loved Jenny so he did whatever he could to help her and make her happy.

14 Everyone Can Be Insightful

Forrest Gump tells his story and has insight into his own slice-of-life story and a perspective that no one else would be able to have. Everyone has an insightful perspective that they should be able to share, even if it’s not expertly articulated.

Everyone can have wisdom and a unique perspective no matter their vocabulary or intelligence, and that’s worth listening to. No one should be afraid to share what they think as long as they’re not hurting anyone.

13 Don’t Be Afraid To Try New Things

Forrest Gump was never insecure about trying something new and wasn’t afraid of failure, which is a great lesson. No one is perfect, especially when they’re first trying something, but sometimes you can surprise yourself by being good at it or even just enjoying a new hobby.

Forrest meets several people throughout his journey and isn’t afraid to start a conversation with them whether it’s famous musician John Lennon or President Kennedy. He’s also happy to try new hobbies like running or ping-pong and doesn’t sweat it if it doesn’t work out.

12 Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

Forrest Gump is not a person who takes himself too seriously and he’s not afraid of making a fool of himself whether it’s saying he has to pee in front of the President of the United States or telling his life story to a stranger on a bench. Forrest is always himself and isn’t afraid of what other people think of him.

It’s a nice life lesson to remind everyone to be humble and remember that everyone makes mistakes. No one is perfect, and there’s no point in taking yourself too seriously.

11 Stay Optimistic

Throughout the entire movie, Forrest Gump is relentlessly optimistic. Even when things are tough, Forrest looks on the bright side of life even if other characters around him hate it, particularly Lieutenant Dan. It’s difficult to be upset when someone else is so optimistic — a contagious feeling that’s bound to help friends be more optimistic too.

Forrest Gump wasn’t worried about terrible things that were happening because he knew he would always be able to figure it out. Forrest lives in a nice blissful state that is a bit over-the-top, but the sentiment is a good ideal to try to live up to.

10 Appreciate Life While You Have It

One of the clearest messages that can be taken from Forrest Gump is that it’s important to appreciate life while you have it. Gump’s story shows that you never know what’s going to happen in the future, and that also includes not knowing when your time will be up or if your life is ever going to be compromised.

Gump’s friend Bubba, for example, dies when he’s still in his youth. Although Gump suffers in a number of ways, he appreciates the life that he has while he has it.

9 Pain Can Be Channeled Into Something Productive

Forrest Gump teaches that even the worst kind of pain can be channeled into something productive. After the love of his life Jenny leaves him, Forrest is understandably heartbroken. But rather than wallowing in self-pity, he starts running.

At first, Gump doesn’t run because he’s trying to change the world or become famous. He simply does it out of heartbreak. Sometimes the things that we do when we’re especially down can end up having positive consequences, even if they weren’t planned.

8 You Never Really Know What You’re Capable Of

Gump, played by Tom Hanks, is an ordinary man with a below-average IQ, but he manages to achieve a lot more than most people would dream of. If someone had told the young Forrest that he would be famous for running such a long distance, he wouldn’t have believed them. He went from wearing leg braces to becoming a professional athlete.

The lesson here is that someone never knows what they are capable of. That’s why it’s always worth at least trying to pursue the things that matter.

7 Truly Loving Someone Means Letting Them Go

It is natural to want to hold onto the things that we love. But when we truly love another person, we also want the best for them and don’t want to hold them against their will. Truly loving someone means letting them go.

Gump’s relationship with Jenny is tumultuous but he never stops loving her. Although he prioritizes her, he never tries to pressure her before she is ready to commit to him. He lets her go so she can find herself and make her own mistakes.

6 Childhood Trauma Can Stay With You For Life

Jenny is a tragic character. It is implied that her father sexually abuses her during her childhood and it takes her a long time to finally find happiness with Gump. The two are only married for a year before she loses her life to an incurable illness.

When she’s finally old enough to leave her father’s house, Jenny makes a series of bad decisions. She has a low sense of self-worth and attracts partners who don’t treat her properly as a result. This teaches that childhood trauma can stay with a person for life and make it difficult to form normal relationships.

5 Money Doesn’t Make You Happy

During the course of Gump’s life, he manages to accumulate great wealth through a combination of hard work and plain luck. But he’s not the sort of character who chases the almighty dollar and doesn’t react in the way most people would when he finally becomes rich.

Even though he makes a lot of money, Gump loses his mom and the love of his life. And even before tragedy strikes, he doesn’t act like all his problems are solved just because he’s wealthy. This reinforces that money doesn’t make you happy.

4 Happy Endings Don’t Always Come Straight Away

Speaking of happiness, Forrest Gump teaches that happy endings don’t always come straight away. Gump goes through a lot in his life before he finally marries Jenny, which you could argue is something that he’s wanted for as long as he’s known her.

Life doesn’t always work out perfectly in the way that society says it should, either. Gump has a child before getting married, and he doesn’t even know his son for the first few years of his life. However, it doesn’t make their relationship any less meaningful.

3 Sometimes It’s Worth Talking To A Stranger

Forrest Gump is one of the world’s most iconic movies. And if two strangers had never started talking at a bus stop, there would be no story. Sometimes, strangers have the most fascinating tales to tell. It’s worth striking up a conversation with someone you don’t know every now and then because you never know when they might have a Gump-like story.

In a world where most people don’t even look up from their smartphones when they do venture out in public, being open to meeting new people has never sounded like a better idea.

2 Intelligence Isn’t Everything

Forrest Gump is an endearing character, one of Tom Hanks’ best, who’s impossible to forget. He leaves an everlasting impact on the world, both in the movie and in real life, and he does all that without having a high IQ. This shows that standardized intelligence isn’t everything. Someone can still be a lovable and important person without it.

What Gump lacks in intelligence he makes up for in kindness, loyalty, courage, and work ethic. You can’t help but fall in love with him.

1 Of Course, Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates

If only one lesson is learned from watching Forrest Gump, let it be this one. Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.

It’s easy to see how this lesson, passed down to Gump from his mother, describes his situation. A humble boy from Alabama went on to interact with some of the most important figures in 20th-century history and have several unique experiences that he never could have planned for.

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