What Friends Taught Me About Philosophy (Yes, Really) When people think of philosophy, they imagine old Greek men in togas debating the meaning of life. What they don’t imagine? Ross Geller yelling “PIVOT!” while shoving a couch up the world’s narrowest staircase. And yet, that’s exactly where philosophy showed up for me—right in the middle of a Friends binge during high school Philosophy class (yes, that was a real assignment). Turns out, philosophers and sitcom writers have something in common: they both know the power of a good story. Plato had his allegory of the cave, Camus had his boulder, and Ross? Ross had that couch. And honestly, all three teach us something about the human condition. Stories—whether ancient or sitcom-level ridiculous—help us process life, laugh at it, and sometimes, accidentally stumble into some pretty deep thoughts. Because if you really think about it, aren’t we all just trying to pivot our way through life’s tight corners?
