Life Lessons Red Lobster Has Taught Us

If you look closely, you can find life lessons everywhere, even nestled in the warm, gooey dough of a Red Lobster cheddar biscuit. You may be thinking, "Red Lobster? What does a seafood chain have anything to do with life lessons?" Well, that's the kind of thinking that will ultimately help topple civilization as we know it. On Monday, Red Lobster announced more seafood on its newly revamped menu, a move that shows the chain going back to its roots, staying true to its identity, and saying, "Damn the man" all at once. With one updated menu, Red Lobster teaches us more than many of us ever learned in years of school. So think outside the box, defy convention, and let Red Lobster dispense some invaluable wisdom on life, one shrimp dish at a time.

Red Lobster, which has been struggling in recent years, was previously owned by Darden Restaurants, Inc., who tried to overhaul the chain in hopes of increasing sales. One of the most prominent changes the company implemented was adding more non-seafood dishes like Spicy Tortilla Soup and Wood-Grilled Pork Chop in an attempt to win over a wider demographic. However, the additions did not help improve sales, and, what's worse, they forced Red Lobster to compromise itself. I know these are huge corporations at the end of the day and things like, you know, profit are crucial and whatnot, but the important takeaway here is that Red Lobster recognized that changing itself in order to make more money was a mistake — it had lost sight of its true priorities.

Red Lobster's president, Salli Setta, explained to the Huffington Post:

At the end of the day, we believe that seafood is really why people come to Red Lobster.

There's an important life lesson to be learned here, so let's get to it. Here are four life lessons that Red Lobster can teach us with its new menu and beyond.

Be True to Yourself

After the new non-seafood menu items failed to excite customers, Red Lobster realized that it should have bucked the pressure to be something it's not; it should have stayed true to itself. And now the chain is doing just that by rolling out a menu that will feature 85 percent seafood, and four of its five new dishes will feature its namesake — lobster.

Be Proud of Who You Are

If you're going to be yourself, then you might as well flaunt it. That's what the chain is doing with its new menu, which will feature even more pictures of the food. Don't listen to the highfalutin snobs who denounce pictures in menus. You do you, Red Lobster!

Don't Short-Change Yourself

If you truly love yourself, then you need to respect yourself, and that means never settling for anything less than you deserve. Last year, Red Lobster launched its "30 shrimp for $11.99" promotion, which CEO Kim Lopdrup now realizes was too steep of a discount. In other words, your worth is priceless, don't just give yourself away. The chain will also increase its "Ultimate Feast" platter by one dollar, to $26.99. Make 'em pay, says Red Lobster, because you're worth it.

There's Always Room For Improvement

While we should feel happy with who we are, the truly enlightened ones recognize that to love ourselves is to evolve. Red Lobster learned that when they decided to rearrange the food on their plates for improved presentation. In July, the chain started to stack their mains and sides instead of placing them next to each other because not only does it look prettier, but the new format also helps to seal in the heat of the dish. While some criticized the chain for conforming to other restaurants' standards, it was Red Lobster's way of saying, "We know we can be an even better version of ourselves."

Thank you, Red Lobster, for being so wise.Images: Red Lobster, Red Lobster/Facebook