Let’s face it, Barry Allen is probably a better person than all of us, and he’s also the role model for thousands of little boys and girls around the world. A lot of the time, I think, people who are past the age of 12 forget how valuable having a fictional character as your role model can truly be. Here are the top three things that can be learned from Barry Allen’s example, regardless of age:

DETERMINATION
Of all the characters on The Flash, Barry has had the clearest motive throughout the course of the show, actually, throughout most of his life. Sure, Barry would love to get together with Iris, beat up whatever bad guy is currently polluting Central City, and get his report in to Detective Singh on time. But, he allows his long-term goal of freeing his father to take top priority in everything he does. He majored in chemistry and physics, became a CSI, denied himself a relationship with Iris, and worked to enhance his superspeed and combat strategies, all in hopes of one day clearing his father’s name and making sure his mother’s is remembered. Where most people lack the strength to stick to a workout regime for more than 2 weeks, Barry has remained passionate and determined (almost to a fault) to accomplish a goal set almost 12 years ago. No matter who you are, I know you can appreciate and draw inspiration from Barry Allen’s absolute determination.

IT’S OKAY TO BE AWKWARD
Let’s be honest here, nerds are awkward. Sometimes it feels like my Darth Vader t-shirt came sprinkled with special dust that makes me hyper-prone to saying weird things at weird times.

GIF Source: TGON

I love that Barry accepts his awkward fanboy disposition. He doesn’t seem bothered by it, because it stems from his simply getting carried away while he geeks out over things he loves. This is part of what makes Barry such an accessible character. In a world where characters so often get the awkward bred out of them, I’m glad Barry Allen exists to teach people that being a little awkward is okay.

RESPECT

Source: TGON

This. Moment. Is. Everything. Sure, its adorable, funny, makes me feel the Snowberry feels, all that good stuff, but it also speaks volumes. The fact that Barry is totally respectful of Caitlin, even when she’s flat-out drunk, half naked, and nobody was around to protest, he didn’t try to “put the moves on her”. He didn’t shame her. He didn’t laugh at her. He just helped her get comfortable. He shows such a deep respect for Caitlin, a respect that everybody needs to adopt.