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#FilmMorals: Outstanding Life Lessons from The Queen’s Gambit

About The Queen’s Gambit

The Queen’s Gambit centers around Elizabeth “Beth” Harmon’s journey to becoming the world’s best chess player. The famous TV series also takes you along Beth’s ups and downs both as an uprising chess player and a teenager herself during the Cold War era.

 

Outstanding Life Lessons from The Queen’s Gambit

 

Moral 1: Have Confidence in Yourself

Because of her gender, Beth’s chess career appears to be set against her from the start. She is told that girls do not play chess the first time she witnesses it at the orphanage. Her mother tries to dissuade her from playing the game when she is adopted, proposing instead that she join a dance class or a girl’s club. She is advised at her first chess tournament that there is no designated women’s section and that she should compete as a beginner. But despite any ridicule, Beth let her game speak for itself. She was the literal representation of being so good it was impossible to ignore her.

Moral 2: Don’t Give Up So Easily

If there is one thing that “The Queen’s Gambit” teaches us throughout the inspiring season, it is that we must never give up on our dreams, no matter how difficult things appear to be at times. We must learn to catch the lemons that life throws at us and turn them into lemonade. We should never go backwards in life or business, just like the chess pawn. Don’t let the voice of doubt stop you from taking action. Beth Harmon played the cards she was dealt, dragged through life, then proved everyone wrong and emerged a clear winner; not only in chess, but also in life.

Moral 3: Plan Ahead and Be Ready to Improvise

While Beth always prepares for her games by researching the careers of other great players, she isn’t very good at improvising based on the situation. As a chess phenomenon, she believes she can make the best move in any situation and is frequently seen reacting to her opponent’s game in real time. Well, having a formal plan and a list of goals you want to achieve is necessary in life. Don’t forget to give yourself space to improvise and try something new as well.

Moral 4: Prioritize your health

Throughout the series, Beth battles addiction, first becoming addicted to the tranquilizer drugs provided to her in the orphanage and then being reliant on drink and medicines to get in the correct frame of mind to compete. While having a sense of purpose and passion adds so much to life, it shouldn’t come at the expense of your physical or mental health. To avoid burnout, take care of yourself, give yourself grace, and learn how to ask for help when you need it.

 

References:

Alya Farah