What is one important lesson Ponyboy learns during the novel? Why do you believe this is important?

Ponyboy learns a lot of life lessons in this short novel, so feel free to pick one that resonates with you and explain why that is so. Personally, I feel that learning that the Greasers and Socs have more in common than he once thought is the most important thing that Ponyboy learns. Cherry introduces him to this concept by telling him that things are "rough all over." Ponyboy admits that he believes her, but he truly learns it as events in the novel unfold. By the end of the novel, Ponyboy is able to understand what Cherry meant by saying that Greasers and Socs aren't that different. They each have struggles. By the end of chapter 7, Ponyboy is not even willing to call Randy a Soc. Ponyboy says that Randy is just another guy.

"What'd he want?" Two-Bit asked. "What'd Mr. Super-Soc have to say?"
"He ain't a Soc," I said, "he's just a guy. He just wanted to talk."