I give credit to Ocie14, he or she recently had a post about what viewers took from the show, I was going to just reply on that discussion, but what I have to say is way too long for that. This way you have a choice of reading it or not, rather than updating every single person on that discussion, and basically forcing them to see it.
I took a lot from this story. I dont like to refer to it as a tv show because I dont really watch tv, its different from tv, Lost is its own animal in a way. Thats like saying someone likes boy bands because they like The Beatles. I hate boy bands, but I love The Beatles. They don't really count as a boy band, they're like their own thing, they're one of a kind. I hope that was a good analogy. See, this is why I didn't bother poor Ocie, I tend to rant on at times. Anyway, here's what I got from Lost:
-I became a much better storyteller. I've been writing stories since I was born. When other kids had friends and cartoons, I was in the front yard making up stories with invisible people and invisible objects. Since then I have obviously evolved to writing stories down, either on paper or on a computer screen. I can honestly say, my writing has improved dramatically since watching Lost. The use of flashbacks, cliffhangers, mysteries that will be answered much later, really help to turn a normal story into an epic. Its helped me realize the difference between the two. A normal story follows the life/journey of a character, an epic creates an entire world. It doesn't follow a main character as much as lots and lots of characters, having dozens of people's stories to follow, giving you at least one character you can always identify with. Its also helped me with story telling with its use of themes, how each character is really just a personification of a character flaw. Sawyer = Revenge, Jack = Control freak, Ben = Insecurity, etc. Its much easier writing for characters when looking at it that way. Lost honestly has the best character development I've ever seen.
-I've actually become more open to the idea of destiny. Mostly thanks to our good friend John Locke. I'm agnostic, I'm not sure if there is a God or not, I dont really think about for now. So even though I'm not knownn for being a spiritual man, I really do believe that things happen for a reason. You start to see it when you look at it that way, how every little event leads to another. How you may not have ever met a person if you hadn't missed a bus, how a good thing wouldn't have happened if a bad one didn't occur, which is a constant (no pun intended) theme on Lost. Which has really helped me think more postively on negative occurences.
-You have no idea how many inside jokes I have with various people that are clearly Lost related. Examples: I actually make clicky noises and swerve my hand around like a smoke tentacle when I grab something. Anything and everything in my life that is black and white is now officially referred to as "Jacob and Dick." I can no longer go on a hike without humming "Dun, dun doo doo doo, dun dun dun, dun doo doo doo..." Anytime I'm going somwhere and I've gone the wrong way, I must say the words "we have to go back" not only said, but then shouted! The words "previous" and or "previously" are no longer taken seriously.
-I actually enjoy nature more. I always liked it, but now I like it even more because I feel like I'm on Lost. I enjoy starring off at the ocean a lot more than I remember.
I'm sure there are many more, but this is long enough as it is. Anyway, thanks for reading if you made it this far. Those are some of the ways my life has literally been changed thanks to, in my opinion, one of the greatest stories ever told.