Five Life Lessons That You Can Learn From Mob Psycho

In the sea of shounen shows Mob Psycho 100 really shines in a very special way. A story about an overpowered psychic kid who, together with a con man, deals with spirits and ghosts, mixes mind-blowing action, hilarious comedy, and deep existentialism, and that makes it unique, especially combined with the art style of ONE that has been brought to life by Studio Bones.

The show has one of the best character developments, showcases their growth and what they learn about themselves after interacting with Mob, the protagonist of the series. Some of the lessons they learned are valuable for viewers, too.

Everyone has their demons

Even those who seemingly have their life together may be battling with something inside without showing it to you. That's the case with Ritsu, Mob's younger brother. He was always jealous of Mob's powers and that poisoned him, fueled him.

Reigen, the conman and Mob's employer, was afraid of being found out and hated for that. Mob himself is in a constant battle with his own emotions. Teruki, one of the earliest Mob's rivals, is afraid to be weak. They all hide it first, just like people in the real world. So don't be too judgemental. Compassion is a key to communication, after all.

It's okay to run away

You don't always have to deal with the things that scare you. Sometimes it's okay to give up and run away. That's what Reigen says to the kids in the finale of the first season.

You don't have to accept all the battles that life throws at you, even if you are an overpowered esper. You can leave the others to deal with it or just give up, even as a grown-up.

Not every challenge has to be tackled.

Suppressing emotions is not the best way to deal with them

As Mob suppresses his emotions, his inner stress meter rises, and when it reaches 100%, the mysterious entity, called ???%, gets out of him and wreaks havoc protecting Mob. When Mob was freely using his powers in his childhood, he accidentally hurt Ritsu, and decided to control himself better. But it resulted in him bottling up everything inside without letting some steam off.

The story shows how Mob tries to find a balance between fully bottling up to keep others safe and accepting himself and his right to feel.

Your life is your own

No one has the right to tell you what to do with your life. You have your passions, ambitions, wishes. You are allowed to stand up for what you think is important, you are allowed to feel things that impact you. Your emotions are valid. This ties in closely with the next, most important life lesson that this show teaches us.

Those who care about you will accept you

A lot of characters are struggling with acceptance: Mob, Reigen, ex-terrorist and shut-in Serizawa, and even the evil spirit Dimple all go through something like that. They all learn to open up to others and destroy the masks they put on themselves to be perceived in the right way. But those who care will accept the unmasked version of you, the true version of you, and you don't have to be afraid to show it: the right people will have your back no matter what.