Even though FRIENDS is a sitcom and makes jokes out of some very serious topics, the show has a lot of very serious themes that get wrapped up in comedy. Be it Phoebe’s childhood, Chandler’s relationship with his parents, or Rachel’s deep-rooted insecurity when she was younger, the show provides a lot of complexity to all of its characters.
One of the most complex characters in the entire series, however, has to be Monica. She has a lot of ‘quirks’ that make her who she is. At the same time, it is made evidently clear that these issues do not come from nature but from the kind of environment she grew up in.
Recently, many fans have begun to take note of one of her most annoying qualities and how it could have a very tragic place of origin.
Friends, Foes, and Family
Recently, a thread was started on Reddit, discussing the true origins behind Monica Geller’s competitiveness. Monica, as a character, has a lot of traits that the show has established to be an important part of her personality. From her difficult relationship with food to her obsessive need to clean everything around her, and even her issues with deligating, her personality is quite unique.
One such part happens to be the competitive side that she has shown every now and then. It is well established in FRIENDS that Courteney Cox‘s Monica can get very intense when it comes to competitions, regardless of how seriously those around her take it. She has an obsessive need to win when every someone can win and more often than not, she gets what she wants.
With this in mind, many fans were wondering what the root cause of her competitive spirit could be. While there could be a number of reasons, some narrowed it down to her relationship with Ross and their parents.
Ross Geller VS. Monica Geller
Growing up in the Geller household, one thing was very evident to Monica; she was not the favorite child. Her parents coddled Ross while simultaneously being judgmental of every decision that she took. This sort of dysfunctional dynamic shaped her into the person she became, affecting everything from her eating habits to her lifestyle.
Since she was always treated as the second best and the competition was her brother, she gained an unhealthy way to get the approval that she never got as a child. Due to this, she would seek contentment and happiness in competitions where she could literally prove that she was, in fact, the best.
Having to compete for her parents’ affection and attention when she was younger, and even to some degree when she grew up, it is not surprising that her sense of self is frozen on something as insignificant as winning a sports match.
It became a way to prove to her parents, and in a way, prove to herself that she could also take on challenging tasks and succeed in them.
FRIENDS is available for streaming on Netflix.
