Before you begin even reading what I learned, I would really appreciate if you saw one episode of this TV series, or may be two, or three; who am I even kidding, you need to watch the whole 3 seasons to keep your soul happy once you watch the first three episodes. And then you have to watch the Orange is the New Black Season 4 which will elevate your senses like never before.

Let’s get the controversial stuff about the show aside first so that we can concentrate on the actual show which is beyond the controversial part of it. Yes there is the occasional nudity, then there is the whole lesbian angle to everything which is predictable as it’s a western show based on a women prison and lastly it does shake a lot of beliefs which can be uncomfortable for some people.

So if you are not homophobic and want to see something really out of the box then this is the perfect bet.

Simple things matter the most 

It's only when we have lost the freedom to do the simplest of things that we realize their importance. The prisoners on the show prove this time and again; they cannot run out in the open unless given a special permission to do so, they cannot dress up the way they want and neither can they eat what they crave for. 

So do what you crave for and it's possible for you without thinking of what the world around you might think, yes they might label it as insane, waste of time & money and much more, but suit yourself because time and again a happy you will be a better person any day.

Books can keep you sane in even under the most insane conditions

While there is a common TV room for the inmates on the show, the library is where all the action happens, and I mean to include the mental action.

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Every inmate having at least one book on their bunk bed makes you think how taken for granted reading has become for us. We have all the freedom to read anything we want to, not confined to walls of a library, not confined to any boundaries; but do we read? That’s the million dollar question. Season 3 of Orange is the New Black even showcased a funeral for books which had to be burned because of bug infestation and that was the thing which made me realize that reading needs a more definite time in my life for sure.

Be with yourself for sometime

Constantly being surrounded by people and the jibber jabber, being with our smart phones and the continuous intrusion of technology in our lives has made us sail away from our self. Piper Chapman on the show who is the main protagonist is the perfect example of why being alone at times is the most healing thing you can do for yourself. In season 1 itself she is sent to the solitary or what they call shoe. The shoe is a separate cell where the inmate is all alone with three walls and a metal door, it takes Chapman into an inward journey and her rage finds a way out.

Her time at the shoe changes her for better; she is more confident with herself and acquires the “I don’t care” attitude which helps her a lot throughout her journey.

Never assume, always ask

The brutal portrayal of women on OITNB is so close to the heart and just perfect that it showcases our primal mistake very subtly. Our assumptions are our mistakes. Crazy Eyes is a beautiful example of this fact. She is a black beauty and a bit crazy and that makes everyone assume what her family must be like and so, until its revealed that her parents are white and she is adopted. So never assume, always be curious to find out the truth.

Being confident

Be confident in whatever you are, that is the mantra these ladies follow in the prison which can be a very very intimidating place. No one displays confidence like Alex Vause especially in Season 1; she is caught, bashed, and ignored by Piper but she never breaks down. She is the badass who admits that she always knows what she wants and that exactly is the confidence we need to have. Confusion and confidence are opposites and cannot exist together.