Barney is one of the most beloved characters on How I Met Your Mother. He often served as the comic relief, getting the gang into bizarre situations and lightening the mood. Barney never took himself seriously and enjoyed being the life of the party.
Even though Barney's fun loving attitude and humor remained consistent throughout the series, Barney is a much different person in the finale than he was in the pilot. Barney made several mistakes throughout the show. Some he learned from, some he didn't. Here are Barney's 10 biggest mistakes that we can learn from.
Believing Bob Barker Is His Father - Trust Your Gut
When Barney was little, his mom told him that his father was Bob Barker. While Barney believed this when he was little, as time went on he came to realize this wasn't true but continued to trick himself into believing this lie. This allowed Barney to keep from confronting the truth, shielding him from pain.
This only ended up hurting him more in the long run, keeping him from getting to know his father sooner. From this, we can learn the importance of trusting our gut and pushing for the truth even if we are scared to know the answer.
Filming A Song To Win Back Shannon - Value Yourself
Barney is devastated when his girlfriend Shannon leaves him. In an attempt to win her back, he films an embarrassing video that haunts him later. When this is unsuccessful, he changes his entire personality and dedicates his life to getting revenge. In this process, Barney loses himself.
At the end of the series, Barney begins to get back part of who he was before his heart was broken. Through Barney's struggle, we learn the importance of valuing ourselves when others don't. Don't chase after someone who doesn't appreciate you for who you are. And don't record anything you don't want the world to see.
Following Women Onto A Plane - Don't Get Too Focused On One Thing
Barney has done some truly stupid things in pursuit of women. In one instance, he convinces Ted to stalk some attractive women onto a plane. In the process, they leave their baggage at security. When the plane lands, they find themselves in a holding cell due to suspected terrorism.
While this is a grand situation that most people wouldn't get themselves into, there is still a lesson to be learned here. Don't be so focused on the pursuit of one goal that you lose sight of the other details in your life. Small details can have a huge impact on your ability to achieve your goal and your future.
Slap Bet - Don't Procrastinate
Barney tries to take the easy way out. After losing a slap bet with Marshall, he can either take 10 slaps immediately or 5 slaps sometime in the future. To avoid immediate pain, Barney chooses to take 5 slaps. While at first, this may seem like a better deal, it goes on to haunt him.
He's always on edge, waiting for the next slap to be delivered. The slaps also come at the worst possible times, including during his wedding weekend. This teaches to power through the difficult tasks immediately instead of waiting until later. While it may hurt in the moment, it's better to get the pain over with and move on with life fear-free and stronger for having struggled.
Not Wanting To Get To Know His Father - Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover
When Barney first meets his father, he believes him to be boring and is disappointed. He decides he doesn't want any relationship with him due to his first impression. Eventually, Barney does go on to get to know his father, discovering that he is not the man he first appeared to be. Barney learns the importance of not letting his first impressions of someone dictate his overall view of them as looks can be deceiving.
Trying To Make Ted Jealous - Revenge Can Be Dangerous
When Barney and Abby are both frustrated with Ted, they team up to make him jealous. They pretend they are madly in love and make sure to go on a "date" in a public place. Barney, ever the showman, decides to take the plan further than discussed and proposes to Abby in front of everyone.
For some reason, Abby takes this proposal seriously and it completely backfires. Barney learns that revenge can be dangerous and come back to bite you. This crazy scenario should give fans some pause before rushing into their own revenge plots.
Trying To Get His Parents Back Together - It's Okay To Move On
Barney clearly has trauma stemming from the absence of his father as a child. During his wedding weekend, he decides to try and get his parents back together. His bother James spends the weekend doing the same with his father and their mother. Neither plan works and Barney comes to realize that these two individuals are not right for each other. From this, we can learn the importance of moving on and letting go of those who aren't good for us.
Avoiding Talking About His Problems In A Relationship - Deal With Your Problems
Barney does not like to talk about his feelings. When there are difficulties in his relationship, he decides to avoid the problem, typically by having sex. Unfortunately, unaddressed problems continue to build and the issues become so large that they are unmanageable. This destroys several of Barney's relationships. Though it can be difficult, it is always better to speak openly and confront problems in a relationship head-on in order to build a stronger foundation.
Cheating On Nora - Be Honest With Your Partner
Barney and Nora had a great relationship, but Barney was struggling with feelings for two people. In the end, Barney acted on his desires and decided to cheat on Nora with Robin, who was also in a relationship at the time. Barney assumed that Robin and him would then begin dating, but that didn't happen. He hurt someone he cared for and didn't even get his desired outcome.
This circumstance shows the importance of being honest with yourself and with your partners. Had Barney clearly communicated his feelings and expectations to both Robin and Nora, this may have had a better outcome.
Rushing Into Marriage - Think Through Major Life Decisions
Barney and Quinn were going strong for a while. While Barney is first excited about Quinn's career as an exotic dancer, he begins to become uncomfortable with the idea. He asks Quinn what it would take for her to stop and she tells him that if she were married, she would probably stop. Shortly thereafter, they are engaged. When Barney proposes a prenup, the entire relationship falls apart, but the prenup is not to blame. The problem is their underlying trust issues which they try to solve by rushing into marriage. It's important to think major life decisions through and Barney and viewers definitely learned this lesson while watching their relationship fall apart.