I’m going to start this article by laying my heart bare for all my readers: I love SpongeBob Squarepants. SpongeBob Square Pants is my hero; in fact, he’s the unbeknownst hero of many.

Some of you will know exactly what I mean, but many others will think I’m crazy. But just stick with me and I’ll show you why our favorite absorbent yellow sea dweller is as good a role model as any in the past 20 years of television.

As the lead role, he has many qualities that characters in other shows just do not possess, let alone in a “kids” cartoon.

He has a set of simple life rules that ensure success and brings happiness not only to himself but also to those around him. Because of that, these are

5 Reasons Why SpongeBob Squarepants Is A Good Role Model

He’s Hero Of The Proletariat

My man SpongeBob is a salaried worker who devotes his body and soul to one of the most obscene forms of rampant capitalist idealism: the fast-food joint.

SpongeBob fry cook at the Krusty Krab

However, our favorite-kind-hearted invertebrate refuses to obsess over surplus value and, quite simply, focuses on imprinting his unique personality and good nature on the product of his work. Evidenced in many instances by the small details with which he adorns his burgers, such as ketchup hearts that complement his Krabby Patties.

When his employer complains about SpongeBob’s slow pace at work, his reply is that he is adding love. And, at the end of the day, that’s what makes his burgers so tasty and his performance so praise-worthy.

In the meantime, the characters that surround him, such as Squidward (the personification of conformist nihilism and banality), care very little about the ideals that SpongeBob so adamantly lives by.

SpongeBob Is Sincere And Honest

SpongeBob’s status as the embodiment of childlike innocence has made him the subject of a considerable amount of parody and even ridicule. However, it is this very quality that makes him one of the most honest and sincere characters on TV.

SpongeBob And His Bikini Bottom Friends

One time he “borrowed” a balloon while perusing during Free Balloon Day and, after accidentally popping it, turned himself in to the authorities due to his guilt.

He was obviously let go since, after all, the balloons were free, but it’s his intention that matters. He was willing to give up his freedom as a consequence of committing a crime, even if imagined.

The Show Continuously Stresses That Its Okay For Men To Cry

Men cry. (Some more than others)

But when men cry, it is viewed by many, including themselves, as a sign of weakness or femininity. However, SpongeBob has continuously shown us that it is okay for boys and men to cry.

SpongeBob is a sensitive sponge

Yes, SpongeBob and his friends typically cry, and flood the ocean floor with salty tears, in almost every episode. 

SpongeBob himself will cry over almost anything that hurts his feelings, his boss cries over money, and even the villainous Mr. Plankton will spill some tears every once in a while. He’s as sensitive as The Princess and the Pea.

Men cry, for a number of reasons as varied as the number of fish in the sea, and the show has never been afraid to show it in an exuberant way.

SpongeBob Mostly Manages To Stay Positive 

This ties back to our initial point. Not everyone who meets SpongeBob is as cheerful as he is. 

In fact, many characters in the show are perpetual grumps. But in the face of anger, envy, frustration, and ill intentions, SpongeBob manages to stay positive and true to himself and his spirit.

Keep in mind that having a positive mind has the ability to influence our physical and mental health and, above all, our ability to achieve our goals in life. If you want to get anywhere in life, having a positive mental attitude will play a substantial role in your ability to do so.

SpongeBob accentuates that attitude is an internal feeling that we express through our behavior. Every single thing, whether good or bad, that happens to us will be reflected in our bodies and through our actions.

On repeated episodes, SpongeBob has demonstrated that a negative attitude gets in our way more often than not and robs us of our energy and that of the people around us.

The good news is that a positive attitude is actually contagious and can be transmitted from one individual to another. 

A positive mental attitude overcomes all obstacles.

Positive thinking is a way of life, it is not something that should be practiced only in specific circumstances. Day to day we must think about favorable situations, use positive words, and change negative thoughts for constructive ones.

He’s A Champion Of A True-To Self Mentality

Spongebob is unlike everyone else in Bikini Bottom and he has suffered ridicule because of it. However, he has shown us on repeated occasions that trying to be someone you are not, things rarely work out.

SpongeBob understands that and promotes being true to self.

This is probably one of the most important lessons we can learn in life.

Best Day Ever

Some of us will live our entire lives trying and pretending to be other than our true selves.

So we need champions that teach us and our kids, that each one of us is special and each one of us is worthy of love and respect.

Be like SpongeBob, be authentic, be good, be happy.